US Open Day 10

First topic message reminder :

Matches of note:

Bartoli v Sharapova (Bartoli leads 4-0, 15-30)
Ivanovic v Serena

Roddick v Del Potro
Murray v Cilic (on Ashe)
Federer v Berdych
Wawrinka v Djokovic

www.usopen.org/en_US/scores/schedule/index.html?promo=subnav

Is this because Muzza has improved? Or is Cilic tightening up?

And is. Mentally folded.
GSM Murray.

lydian wrote:Cilic used to be known for this.

Gifts the break to Murray: that explains why Murray is the 3rd seed and Cilic isn't.

Must do!

Just bizzare. He was absolutely cruising.

That's 4 straight games to Murray, so I'm pleased we got a competitive match now but I got this feeling that now Murray is finding his range that unless Cilic takes this second set, it's going to be Murray steam rolling his way into the semi final.

Wooden hill time for Mr. Lydian, seen enough to know who the winner is...well done Murray for hanging in there but Cilic let him off the hook for sure. Nite all.

A tie breaker would be a fitting end to this set but I don't think Cilic is going to get it to that stage....

bogbrush wrote:Cilic looks exhausted.

I called it!

You did bb - and you woz right.

ooo er Murray very wound up because Cilic holds serve to force tie-break - that's when I could kick Murray because it is such negative energy - just get on with the next point already

Andy was just bored when Pippa wasn't in the stadium..I knew this would happen though. Cilic is a double edged sword. He gets tired when his attacking shots are repelled..

Murray decides that he has had enough gifts off Cilic and decides on returning the gesture.

tense, tense, tense!

set point for Muzza

Murray steals the 2nd set! That was horrible to watch Cilic cave in after just walking on air for 2 sets.

Murray

Feel a little sorry for Cilic who played so well at the beginning of the set to watch it all slip away.

Oh well............at last Louis Armstrong is filling up.

Murray now needs to make sure that he continues what he was doing there and now slip back into the mindset that they're all square and let the urgency slip.

Murray will be fine - he can bring his C game back to court because Cilic is done imvho

The momentum has definitely shifted. Had Murray gone two sets down, I doubt he'd have been able to come back but now, unless Cilic takes this third set, I think it's likely to be Murray in 4 or 5.

The third set is basically where this match is at - Cilic must win it whereas losing it will be too much for him to overcome.

Tropicalfruiter wrote:

Josiah Maiestas wrote:Murray's peak was against Raonic, he peaked too soon. Always has that dilemma.

Hang on. Perhaps it was Cilic who went early todayW Here comes the Muzza fight back.

Four out of five of the last games and a tie-break rather bear me out!

For the love God if only the web stream would show this match and not Shara vs Bart.

Tropicalfruiter, bet365 are showing it if you have an monied account.

ryan86 wrote:Tropicalfruiter, bet365 are showing it if you have an monied account.

Thank you.

Think I will turn in too.

Murray - looking good with break in the third
TMF - it's going to be a tough one!

and lastly, without any great hope, Ana Ivanovic!

Tropicalfruiter wrote:

Gerry SA wrote:End of a fantastic career for ARod. Top guy and all the best for the future.

End of this years slam winning attempts for AMurray. Top guy and all the best for the future.

Not quite yet me thinks,

Murray breaks again for 5-2 and is now in top gear, where the hell was his head earlier.

Cilic now in a dark place.

Tropicalfruiter wrote:

ryan86 wrote:Tropicalfruiter, bet365 are showing it if you have an monied account.

Thank you.

You can also try Livescorehunter.com or sportlemon.com. Do not click on any ads though.

I had Federer as slight favorite to win the semi-final (along with Caledonian Craig), but I am going to have to make Murray slight favorite now. He will be the first player into the semi-finals and he should be in top form having to up his level several gears to overcome the excellently performing Cilic. Federer has to get past Berdych first to reach the semi-finals and he will get less time to recover - although Saturday is a long way away... So maybe recovery time won't be an issue.

However Murray coming back from 1 set down and 5-1 in the second set is going to do wonders for his confidence, to go alongside the confidence he gained in beating Federer in straight sets in the Olympics.

Cilic won 11 of the first 15 games.
Murray has won 14 of the next 17 games.

time please wrote:lol at Rusedski earlier 'whoever wins the first set (Roddick vs Delpo) will win the match. After Delpo took the 2nd, it is whoever will win the 3rd

I'm now relaxed enough to laugh at this

Then again, with Andy - it might be perhaps best to wait until he's actually won

skyeman wrote:Murray breaks again for 5-2 and is now in top gear, where the hell was his head earlier.

Cilic now in a dark place.

Cilic played brilliantly right from the beginning with excellent attacking play. I think perhaps Murray was slightly complacent in his preparations and was caught cold. Give credit to Cilic.

This has 6-0 written over it at the moment.

Commentators were putting a lot of stock in it being the change of court which I don't totally buy into. They felt it took him time to get the pace of the court. However, it goes deeper than that as his serve percentage was poor and was too passive and had too many unforced errors. The light was switched on when he was at the point of no return at 5-2 in the second set and he began hitting aggressive returns and this set the tone for him and everything fell into place.

Ooops, spoke to soon!!

Cilic played the perfect match and cannot be faulted. He knew the only way to beat Murray was to catch him cold and win quickly in straights or in four sets. Murray is the better player with the better fitness. Credit to Murray for finding the belief in his ability and to change his mindset when 5-1 down in the second. He realised then he was in a "proper match" and started to think more clearly and strategically - grind the match out - make it go long, have confidence in your greater fitness and ability.

If Federer beats Berdych as I think he will, then the semi-final might be the match of the tournament.

Nore Staat wrote:

skyeman wrote:Murray breaks again for 5-2 and is now in top gear, where the hell was his head earlier.

Cilic now in a dark place.

Cilic played brilliantly right from the beginning with excellent attacking play. I think perhaps Murray was slightly complacent in his preparations and was caught cold. Give credit to Cilic.

Oh i do, don't get me wrong. But murray was also playing some tragic tennis. Just one of his now less frequent phases.

CaledonianCraig wrote:Commentators were putting a lot of stock in it being the change of court which I don't totally buy into. They felt it took him time to get the pace of the court. However, it goes deeper than that as his serve percentage was poor and was too passive and had too many unforced errors. The light was switched on when he was at the point of no return at 5-2 in the second set and he began hitting aggressive returns and this set the tone for him and everything fell into place.

It's frightening how Andy can go from absolutely terrible to looking like one of the best players ever to pick up a raquet

And yet some still question his right to be a contender

You could say that Djokovic played rubbish against Wawrinka in his fourth round match - I can't remember how often Djokovic got broken in the first set. But Wawrinkas serving wasn't nearly as good as say Cilic in this quarter-final.

There is no doubting he has the game to win a slam. Andy's problems are largely in the head with focus being an issue (not so much now) and that golden quality - self-belief.

From bad Andy to great Andy. Always a roller coaster. Through to the semi.

The reason for Andy's bad start is the same reason for all his bad starts, he is rubbish at altering to conditions and mentally lost it when put on Armstrong

It's incorrect IMHO when people say, including the commentators, that Armstrong gives Murray a problem because of the pace, when Andy is second only to Fed when it comes to playing on the fastest courts

CaledonianCraig wrote:There is no doubting he has the game to win a slam. Andy's problems are largely in the head with focus being an issue (not so much now) and that golden quality - self-belief.

Murray has stupid Saturday to contend with, plus most likely a Roger Federer, and then whoever wins that will likely have to play a well rested Djokovic.

However, maybe Murray will face Berdych in the semi-final and a Ferrer in the final

Wow. And I thought Lopez was a bottler v Murray.

Never seen Murray play so bad in the first 15 games but then he turned it around and played arguably one of his best ever matches. A lesser Murray would have chucked it away.

Bravo Murray As for Cilic.... maybe this is the beating that turns him into a champ? Or not, maybe it confirms he'll never be a top, top player.

Nore Staat wrote:

CaledonianCraig wrote:There is no doubting he has the game to win a slam. Andy's problems are largely in the head with focus being an issue (not so much now) and that golden quality - self-belief.

Murray has stupid Saturday to contend with, plus most likely a Roger Federer, and then whoever wins that will likely have to play a well rested Djokovic.

However, maybe Murray will face Berdych in the semi-final and a Ferrer in the final

How well rested, both semi's are saturday and he still has a q/f to play.

Fair point Nore Staat. If it is the latter you'd have to fancy Andy to win his first slam but there again Berdych or Ferrer would fancy their chances as well.

If Djokovic plays his quarter final on Thursday he will get plenty of rest to play his semi-final on the saturday. Assuming his semi-final is played first and before the ladies final - with the second semi-final being played in the early evening (likely a long game between Federer and Murray) - then the advantage will be to Djokovic.

Nore Staat wrote:If Djokovic plays his quarter final on Thursday he will get plenty of rest to play his semi-final on the saturday. Assuming his semi-final is played first and before the ladies final - with the second semi-final being played in the early evening (likely a long game between Federer and Murray) - then the advantage will be to Djokovic.

Both semi's are before the ladies final and the order has not been set yet.

Anyway lest we forget, Murray just gone and reached another grandslam semi-final

I'll say one last thing before I head for bed.

I don't want to see Murray anywhere near Armstrong again!!

skyeman wrote:... Both semi's are before the ladies final and the order has not been set yet.

Normally they try to fix an approximate time for the ladies final. If this is the case then it is difficult to make a prediction except for Murray to win the slam he likely needs to beat the no1 and 2 in the world.

Anyway Murray is through to the semi-final and both Federer and Djokovic have to play Berdych and Del Potro respectively, to join Murray in the semis.

Nore Staat wrote:and both Federer and Djokovic have to play Berdych and Del Potro respectively, to join Murray in the semis.

Who are more match hardened versions of Cilic - so it's feasible that they might drag on a long time