Modest Murray Says He's Not The Favourite At Roland Garros

Murray has never won a title on clay in fact he has never reached a final on that surface. Perhaps this explains Murrays unusual modesty about his chances to claim his first slam win on the red clay at Roland Garros.

"I have to believe that I can win it," Murray said yesterday

"The French Open was a really important tournament for me last year. I've said it many times, not just because I got to the semis there for the first time but because of the way the tournament went.

"Providing I have improved and that over the next five, six weeks I keep doing that and working hard then there's no reason why I can't give it a good shot. I wouldn't say I'm the favourite going in; [Novak] Djokovic, Roger [Federer] and Rafa [Nadal] have got much better results than me on clay but I think I can win against them. I need to work hard over the next five, six weeks for sure."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/apr/10/andy-murray-lendl-french-open?newsfeed=true

Hmmmmmm.

A 72nd ranked moaning about being crap and not showing any desire to improve is less frowned upon than a top player showing some belief in wanting to win a Slam?

I wonder who makes the most sense and has my backing?

Not the 72nd player, thats for sure.

If Murray wears his lucky shorts then I would have to install him as Britain's favourite to win at Roland Garros, n'est ce pas?

All these top players believe they can win any event they enter...its just for the top 3, and particularly top 2, this belief has more probability to it. With Murray you sense its more hope than firm belief. Its all part of sports psychology to positively visualise the outcome...ie. the win...to keep you focused on the end game. Who knows, he may have a good run, or go out in the first round...

I agree with lydian, this does sound like Murray trying to keep a positive frame of mind ahead of RG.

He has more chance than Nadal. He gave Nole a tough match in Rome unlike Nadal

Murray has more chance than Nadal to win RG?
Are you having a laugh...?

noleisthebest wrote:He has more chance than Nadal. He gave Nole a tough match in Rome unlike Nadal

Considering Murray's aim to work hard, improve and his new confidence on clay together with his recent matches with Djokovic. Do you think Nole will have his fingers crossed that he gets Federer on his side of the draw at RG rather than Murray?

lydian wrote:Murray has more chance than Nadal to win RG?
Are you having a laugh...?

I think she meant more chance than David Nadal who is completely rubbish.

What should Murray say?

I have no chance but at least can get through as far as the semis - unlike the rest of the "no hope Brits" who can't even qualify.

Another riviting cut and paste article from hawkeye.

Let's hope the Press never go on strike or you wouldn't know what to do with yourself.

Anyway keep them coming always get a laugh, you must be v2 biggest scribe on the article front

lydian wrote:Murray has more chance than Nadal to win RG?
Are you having a laugh...?

She didn't say that, she said more chance to beat Djokovic.

Recent history (the last three years) suggests she is probably right.

Wrong end of the stick

3 on 1 thread is impressive.

hawkeye wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:He has more chance than Nadal. He gave Nole a tough match in Rome unlike Nadal

Considering Murray's aim to work hard, improve and his new confidence on clay together with his recent matches with Djokovic. Do you think Nole will have his fingers crossed that he gets Federer on his side of the draw at RG rather than Murray?

Federer beat Novak on clay last year, Murray didn't.
Murray took a set off Nole on clay and had match points last year. Nadal didn't even take a set in the two matches they played.

Considering he has a badly injured knee and requires 100% fitness for his style of play, I don't see him being dominant on clay any more.

sportslover wrote:What should Murray say?

Yee Gods! By the power of Lendl's shorts, I shall smite then on the clay, and lift up the holy grail of the freedom fries.

Actually one year Greg Rusedski said in relation to his prospects of lifting the Coupe des Mousquetaires "There's more chance of a UFO landing"

I wish Murray would at least say something off the wall like that now and then rather than the usual dull platitudes.

Wow.

Rusedski and Murray are similar in what way?

Rusedski was a sack of crap as a player!

I wish you would provide something a little better for comparison.

legendkillarV2 wrote:Wow.

Rusedski and Murray are similar in what way?

Rusedski was a sack of crap as a player!

I wish you would provide something a little better for comparison.

Yes Super D - how dare you put The Canadian before "TigerT"

Nore Staat wrote:

Yee Gods! By the power of Lendl's shorts, I shall smite then on the clay, and lift up the holy grail of the freedom fries.

He most certainly should say that.

But in the interest of public safety, he would probably best to advise anyone within a 5 mile radius of hawkeye's house to stay indoors as to not to get caught in the blast wave when she reads it and spontaneously combusts.

She tends to get all hot and bothered by the most innocuous comments. I would imagine it could get a bit dramatic should he say something remotely controversial.

djlovesyou wrote:

Nore Staat wrote:

Yee Gods! By the power of Lendl's shorts, I shall smite then on the clay, and lift up the holy grail of the freedom fries.

He most certainly should say that.

But in the interest of public safety, he would probably best to advise anyone within a 5 mile radius of hawkeye's house to stay indoors as to not to get caught in the blast wave when she reads it and spontaneously combusts.

She tends to get all hot and bothered by the most innocuous comments. I would imagine it could get a bit dramatic should he say something remotely controversial.

Just be thankful that she hasn't started reading Comics yet???

Or no doubt we would be getting quotes like " Desperate Dan has a superior forehand to Andy"

haha, pft & all that!

He must be one of the favourites, his moonbaling is utterly unflappable, and it grinded Nadal to numerous titles.

Nadal, Djokovic, Federer should have no chance over 5 sets against a man who has yet to gather a single clay title.

All makes sense.

sportslover wrote:

legendkillarV2 wrote:Wow.

Rusedski and Murray are similar in what way?

Rusedski was a sack of crap as a player!

I wish you would provide something a little better for comparison.

Yes Super D - how dare you put The Canadian before "TigerT"

Lads the Canadian "sack of crap" as you put it won 15 titles and got to a USO final. Hardly the performance of a receptacle containing faecal matter now is it?

Anyway, my point has nothing to do with comparsions with other players just I wish there was a little more charm or humour in what Murray says . It's always the same drivel about his form, his fitness, the form and fitness of the top 3 zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. I can even hear him speaking it in his dreadfully monotonic way.

Super D Boon wrote:

sportslover wrote:

legendkillarV2 wrote:Wow.

Rusedski and Murray are similar in what way?

Rusedski was a sack of crap as a player!

I wish you would provide something a little better for comparison.

Yes Super D - how dare you put The Canadian before "TigerT"

Lads the Canadian "sack of crap" as you put it won 15 titles and got to a USO final. Hardly the performance of a receptacle containing faecal matter now is it?

Anyway, my point has nothing to do with comparsions with other players just I wish there was a little more charm or humour in what Murray says . It's always the same drivel about his form, his fitness, the form and fitness of the top 3 zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. I can even hear him speaking it in his dreadfully monotonic way.

Best he not speak to the media then hawkeye would have nothing to write about and other posters could concentrate on interesting TENNIS related articles

With regards to his speaking perhaps he could employ Rafa's speech coach and throw in some broken Spanish maybe that would help spice things up a bit.

sportslover he simply doesn't come across as the brightest kid on the block each time he offers an opinion.

Ultimately if his tennis does his talking for him all his rather strange quotes will be forgotten . The problem for Andy in the meantime he increasingly comes across as someone who won't learn from his mistakes - tennis playing or otherwise.

The OP says 'Modest Murray'!

The remaining statements should be seen through that 'lens'.

The "not so brightest kid" as you put it newballs, at the ripe old age of 24, having been the top fourth player in the World for the last few years and is now reputed to be worth in the region of £50 million, so he must obviously doing something right!

How about you new balls, and not about your keyboard skills on v2?

laverfan wrote:The OP says 'Modest Murray'!

The remaining statements should be seen through that 'lens'.

there's modest and there's humble....

Everything Murray says here is absolutely right - he is not the favourite, but he thinks he can beat the top three. He has to believe he can win it (of course, why would any top sportsman turn up not trying to conjure up that belief?).

I can see RG must have given him so much confidence last year because not only did he have his best result, but he did so with a few niggling problems and 'toughed it out' on his least favourite surface.

I think this article was published under 'Murray says he can win French Open', if I am not mistaken - goes to show how editors of papers sometimes pick a line and ever so subtly change it to get people to read the article. Murray says I have to believe I can win it is not likely to get quite the same volume of people reading the piece.

The interesting thing is how a headline becomes a fact - in political comment as well - it makes you wonder if most people skim a paper and get their world view only on headlines, or whether a persuasive headline provokes a point of view which doesn't change even on closer reading of the actual article.

I rarely think the things Murray says are mistakes. Of course he should believe he is going to win all major tournaments he enters, and of course he should aspire to be number 1. He's world number 4 after all.

So when he says he thinks the gap is closing on the top 3, or that he will win slams I think he is doing exactly the right thing.

This however IS a mistake by Murray:

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?p=6462450

Danny_1982 wrote:I rarely think the things Murray says are mistakes. Of course he should believe he is going to win all major tournaments he enters, and of course he should aspire to be number 1. He's world number 4 after all.

So when he says he thinks the gap is closing on the top 3, or that he will win slams I think he is doing exactly the right thing.

This however IS a mistake by Murray:

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?p=6462450

Disagree - this should add another 5mph to his court coverage!!

sportslover wrote:

Danny_1982 wrote:I rarely think the things Murray says are mistakes. Of course he should believe he is going to win all major tournaments he enters, and of course he should aspire to be number 1. He's world number 4 after all.

So when he says he thinks the gap is closing on the top 3, or that he will win slams I think he is doing exactly the right thing.

This however IS a mistake by Murray:

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?p=6462450

Disagree - this should add another 5mph to his court coverage!!

Ha, i suppose it could make him more aerodynamic!