Queens/Halle Thread

[Guest]

First topic message reminder :

Thought I would get the ball rolling this week.

Queens is having an inspection at 12. If the forecast is correct, we might not get started until next week!

Not sure they are having the same problems in Halle though.

[Guest]

In Germany, Raonic spanked Zhang for the loss of 2 games.

Youzhny has just broken Dolgopolov in the final set of their encounter. Another Dolgo flop so near the finish line.

[JuliusHMarx]

Simon and Bolelli going all the way

Are they allowed to show that before the 9 p.m. watershed?

[Guest]

Simon and Bolelli going all the way

Are they allowed to show that before the 9 p.m. watershed?

Rumour has it that the 3rd set has seen an increase in grunting and panting. Love all the way in that match

[laverfan]

Surprised that Hewitt left Halle and went to Queens, to be beaten by his nemesis Karlovic.

[Guest]

It was a surprise LF. Maybe different venue, different outcomes.

Bolelli leading Simon in the final set TB.

Roddick and Roger-Vasselin into a 3rd set.

Yu takes the 2nd set TB and him and Karlovic on serve in 3rd.

Dimitrov and Muller 1-1 in the 1st

[Guest]

Simon knocked out by Bolelli.

[Mad for Chelsea]

Roger-Vasselin knocks out Roddick in three. Congrats to ERV he played a great match. That's two multiple winners out in the last two days. Murray vs Mahut up next

[prostaff85]

Yen-Hsun Lu survives 35 aces from Karlovic (!)

[Guest]

Goes to show that even a dynamite serve on lightening grass does not equate to guaranteed success.

[Guest]

Oh FFS Andy!!!



Move over Judy and Ivan and let me get in the coaches box and slap some sense into the lad!

[Mad for Chelsea]

cut him some slack LK, it's his first grass court match for a year. Mahut already played Nottingham last week (made the final) and is a very accomplished grass court player. Having said that, Murray too passive in that game and not enough first serves.

[Guest]

MFC,

He is a former 2 time champion. I think I am entitled to have a frustrated rant for that sloppy service game! It is becoming the norm at the moment. The match has had a few moments by where both have gone for it. In such a match I expect Andy to protect his serve a bit better!

[Mad for Chelsea]

like I said it's his first match on grass for a year against a guy who's excellent on the stuff, it was always going to be tricky. I agree it was a sloppy service game, but a bit of support would be nice...

[Guest]

Andy unleash the beast within and storm the next 2 sets

Make me a happy lad

[Guest]

I am supportive of the Murray cause MFC always have and always will.

That first set yes there were some nervy points, but both looked at ease and just that one drop proved a tad fatal.

The first set is gone now and I hope Andy can get through this with minimal damage.

[Mad for Chelsea]

worryingly Murray's not hitting through his serves. back trouble?

[Mad for Chelsea]

that's a bit better, more aggression from Murray and wraps up the game, but really needs to stop hitting the inside-in forehand which Mahut is reading like a book.

[Guest]

Delete that post MFC!!! Someone will jump on that.

If there is any shred of doubt that he feels the back is not 100% I think it is best maybe depending of the outcome of this match is to sit down and look at maybe turning the speed down on the first serve by a couple of mph. He could get away with it on Grass a surface being a tad bit quicker.

[Mad for Chelsea]

oh that call will annoy Murray, he was well on top but it's wrongly called out and Mahut promptly bangs down an ace off the re-played point.

[Guest]

Andy needs to hit with a greater depth if he is to use the IOFH. It's not the most powerful shot off the Murray FH side.

[newballs]

Maybe Andy needs to ask around the locker room for some advice on his back/game and the world in general.

He should be happy that Haas (like Gasquet last week) obviously cares about his well being by all accounts.

[Mad for Chelsea]

oh dear, DF from Mahut at BP down, not good and a gift for Murray.

[Guest]

I think Andy takes his well-being very seriously. It is not in his nature to just throw the towel in, no matter how much the odds don't stack in his favour.

[Guest]

C'mon Andy.

[Mad for Chelsea]

Murray a lucky boy to win that one, still don't get why he's hitting 80% of balls (at least) to Mahut's strongest wing...

[Mad for Chelsea]

C'mon Andy.

that's more like it LK

there's no doubt that Murray's not hitting through all his first serves (see the very small n° of aces he's hitting). Whether this is a precaution or a genuine plan, I don't know.

[Mad for Chelsea]

nope, all not well in the Murray world. Another pretty ordinary service game, his groundstrokes just haven't found the right timing yet.

[newballs]

Eurosport seemed to think it was nearly all over when Andy when 3-0 up in the second set. Changed their tune quickly enough when Mahut broke back to 2-3 and Andy's going to have to up his game somewhat to come through this one.

[Mad for Chelsea]

this is very odd. Murray looks as if he's happy to just throw this one away there, but then he comes up with some big serving and clings on. Very strange, and as I said all not well in the Murray world. Wonder what's up

[Mad for Chelsea]

better service game from Murray, helped by an atrocious volley from Mahut (and including the best rally of the match).

[Mad for Chelsea]

Murray was a bit unlucky there, worked his way to 15-30 and his return would have been a winner had it not clipped the top of the net and drifted wide.

commentators "Murray having to play nearly at his best", seriously?!?! He's a long way below that at the moment...

[Mad for Chelsea]

hello? the TB ding-dong-ing along until 5-4 Murray with serve, and Murray chooses that moment to play two fabulous points. The first a mix of angles and reflexes finished with a marvelous drop volley. The second a superb return followed by a quick scaper to the net and angled flick of sheer beauty. Suddenly we're at one set all! Where did that come from?

[Mad for Chelsea]

for the second time in the match, Mahut surrenders his serve to a DF, and that was a truly shocking opening to the final set I'm afraid.

[Mad for Chelsea]

and as in the second some overly passive play from Murray allows Mahut to break back.

[laverfan]

Would not be too surprised if Mahut sneaks this one.

[laverfan]

5-0, big hole to climb back from. Now 6-0.

6 MPs for Mahut.

[Mad for Chelsea]

it's a bit of a shame Murray chooses the third set TB to play his worst tennis of the year, but there you go.

[laverfan]

Mahut beats Murray.

[Mad for Chelsea]

and with his fifth horrible error of the TB Murray is out, what happened in that TB?!?!?!

[Guest]

A lackadaisical performance from Murray, trying to be aggressive but lacking energy and accuracy. Congratulations to Tim Henman Nicolas Mahut.

[laverfan]

Two errors on his first two points, one in the net, the other long. Just error-strewn TB from Andy. Mahut just kept the ball in play.

Making Mahut feel guilty about beating Andy @Queens.

[Guest]

The BBC commentator said it wasn't all that bad start to Murray's grass season campaign, although he would have probably preferred to have played more matches :Laugh:

[hawkeye]

Oh dear! The tournament director will be crying somewhere...

[barrystar]

If Murray has to lose I like Mahut - he's also won more than 1/4 of his ATP main tour singles matches at Queens including taking down Rafa, so he's not a total mug there.

[newballs]

Vive la France!

Vasselin, Mahut already through and Tsonga to follow. Three musketeers and not a Brit anywhere to be seen unless Baker pulls off the improbable.

[Super D Boon]

Look on the bright side. At least he gets plenty of rest for that back injury before Wimbledon.

[socal1976]

Wow odd loss for murray what is the prognosis what happened? Good on mahut I like the guy and his game he always seems to get into shootouts as well and never stops fighting.

[Guest]

That is why I am not in favour of giving the Brits wild-cards - they tend to get walloped in the first round and then fade back into obscurity. Better that they tackle events that they might be expected to win the first few rounds, but which challenges them in the later rounds - all the time picking up ATP points and experience.

In relation to the British males at Queens (a 250 ATP event) - all British participants lost to non-British participants. Baker who got to the second round, was up against fellow Brit Oliver Golding in the first round.

This is what Baker has to say on the competition: Jamie Baker speaking to BBC: "At Challengers I would match up with anybody but you can see what an athlete he is and when I got myself out of position there was little I could do to get back into the rally. One mistake of hitting the ball in the wrong place, not even an unforced error, and the point is almost done."

[Guest]

Murray at Queens
2008 QF
2009 winner
2010 3rd round
2011 winner
2012 2nd round

Murray at Wimbledon
2008 QF
2009 SF
2010 SF
2011 SF
2012 ???

[gboycottnut]

This surely has to be the worse ever Queen's tournament, as there is no player with a Singles Grand Slam Major in their CV playing in this year's tournament.

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