Match of The Day Thread : Mutua Madrid Masters - Day 8 - THE FINAL !!!

[Wooffie]

Mutua Madrid Open

ATP World Tour 1000
Madrid, Spain
date: 1st – 8th May, 2011
surface: Red Clay
prize money: € 2,835,000
________________________________________

Order of Play

Sunday, 8th May, 2011

Centre Court – Manolo Santana

Not before 6:30 pm (5:30 pm GMT)
Rafael NADAL (ESP) vs. Novak DJOKOVIC (SRB)

________________________________________

The Road to the Final ...

RAFA NADAL

def. Marco BAGHDATIS 6-1, 6-3
Juan Martin DEL PORTRO (walkover)
def. Michael LLODRA 6-2, 6-2
def. Roger FEDERER 5-7, 6-1, 6-3

NOVAK DJOKOVIC

def. Kevin ANDERSON 6-3, 6-4
def. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-1, 6-2
def. David FERRER 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
def. Thomaz BELLUCCI 4-6, 6-4, 6-1

So this is it ... after their hard fought battles on the US hardcourts, the world's two best players transfer their craft to the red clay of Europe ... where something will have to give.

Rafa is defending Champion and holds an un-beaten 37 match winning streak on the dirt ... Novak has won everything he's played for this year, and is defending a 31 consecutive match winning streak.

One of those records will be broken today. Will it be the King of Clay's or that of the new Heir Apparent?

________________________________________

Links:
Draw
Order of Play
Live Scores
Official Tournament Website

[Wooffie]

Morning all

I think Green isn't around this week, so I've followed her excellent lead and just put something up so that anyone who wants to, can follow today's matches.

There's some good ones today, and all the Big Guns are coming out to play.

[cats_r_cool]

Great stuff, thanks Wooffie. Good to see all the big boys out today. Wonder how many shock results there will be today

[Solerina]

Thanks Wooffie!

What a fantastic day of tennis.......I'll be watching as much as I can of it, on bet365 : )

Solerina

[Wooffie]

I shall mostly be watching livescores ...

Good luck to Rafa and Feli!! Vamos!!

[legendkillar]

I am fortunate to be watching it on the TV.

Think the upset could be in the Berdych v Granollers match

[rafandready]

I'm at work and just following on livescores - is anyone watching the Djokovic/Anderson match? Just wondered how Djokovic is looking so far...

[michael_o]

Djokovic seemed to me to be quite close to his best. Anderson is a much-improved player and was no pushover. Thought it was a high-quality match and I expect to see Novak in the Final on Sunday.

[Mad for Chelsea]

watched a bit of it rafandready. Djokovic was solid, nothing more nothing less really. Served well (very good first serve percentage, only faced breakpoints once). Anderson as we know has a big serve and Djokovic struggled a bit with it, but was able to up his level at the important moment (3-3 in the second set) and force the issue.

In a word, solid.

[Mad for Chelsea]

well Del Potro has just bagelled Cilic in the second set, and that means it's Murray-time

[Solerina]

Yes Chelsea....it's Murray time

They're warming up right now........ camera hasn't gone to Andy yet....how bizarre....oh it has now.

Come on Andy!!

[Mad for Chelsea]

Murray happy to work his way into the match so far, keeping the ball in play. Understandable as he hasn't played for a couple of weeks remember. It pays dividends as Simon makes a few errors and it's a break!

[Wooffie]

Did anyone watch the JMDP match? Are there any comments?? I'm interested as he seemed to have that leg injury yesterday and was wondering how he faired with it.

[Wooffie]

Wonder if the Simon/Murray match will have any "juice" from Simon, remembering their MC match.

[Mad for Chelsea]

Murray looking a bit rusty as he serves poorly and misses a few forehands to hand the break back

[Solerina]

Did anyone watch the JMDP match? Are there any comments?? I'm interested as he seemed to have that leg injury yesterday and was wondering how he faired with it.

The lady who was commentating on another match on bet365 said there was no sign of his leg injury

Solerina

[Wooffie]

Thanks Solerina

[Mad for Chelsea]

all a bit scrappy and untidy so far, Murray hasn't quite found his rhythm yet, while Simon is trying hard to attack and making a few errors. Break points come and go for both, and Murray pings down an ace while breaking his string as he holds for 4-4.

[Mad for Chelsea]

Murray takes the first set! Scrappy affair but Simon breaks down a bit at 4-4, three poor errors give Murray three break points and he takes the second after a brilliant defensive lob puts him in charge of the rally which he finishes off at the net.

He then serves out pretty comfortably

[I AM AWESOME]

Come on FED!!!!!!

[Stealth Maestro Agro Love]

Chugging along quite comfortable at 6-4, 3-4 on serve, Murray suddenly forgets how to play tennis. MY PICKS DEPEND ON YOU MAN, GET ON WITH IT!

[socal1976]

Andy looks like he is in trouble, so far a real nice match between the two guys. Simon is a really tough draw in the second round on clay just moves so beautifully and hit the balls so clean. A real tough match. Murray I think will take set three though unless he blows his top again.

[Haddie-nuff]

http://network.yardbarker.com/tennis/article_external/francesca_schiavone_and_andy_murray_support_pre_match_sex/4671721

Maybe this is his problem !!!!!

[socal1976]

A lot of old football managers ban their players from sex before a big match. It does kind of take all the aggression out of you. Haddie you are rather risque for a respectable pensioner!!!

[I AM AWESOME]

Why has murray revealed that to the public? It's not exactly something we would in particular be interested in...

[Stealth Maestro Agro Love]

Ohhhh this is rather close, isn't it? Murray 2-0 up in the decider but Simon is fighting hard for it, that's 3 deuces now isn't it.

IAA, it depends on whether you count Kim Sears a member of the public, surely?

[I AM AWESOME]

Ohhhh this is rather close, isn't it? Murray 2-0 up in the decider but Simon is fighting hard for it, that's 3 deuces now isn't it.

IAA, it depends on whether you count Kim Sears a member of the public, surely?

No, I mean as in, it's something very personal and I wouldn't feel that comfortable revealing that sort of thing to the world. Each to their own though I suppose.

[socal1976]

The last thing I want to think about is Andy Murray getting freaky deaky before a match or Schiavone for that matter.

[I AM AWESOME]

The last thing I want to think about is Andy Murray getting freaky deaky before a match or Schiavone for that matter.

[Stealth Maestro Agro Love]

The last thing I want to think about is Andy Murray getting freaky deaky before a match or Schiavone for that matter.

Schiavone was going on about it too?! *shivers*

Murray holds, that should probably kill off Simon's resistance.

[Stealth Maestro Agro Love]

Ohhhh this is rather close, isn't it? Murray 2-0 up in the decider but Simon is fighting hard for it, that's 3 deuces now isn't it.

IAA, it depends on whether you count Kim Sears a member of the public, surely?

No, I mean as in, it's something very personal and I wouldn't feel that comfortable revealing that sort of thing to the world. Each to their own though I suppose.

I was kidding.

I do agree with you, but that's the world of pointless celebrity gossip for you, isn't it? Some people avoid it, some people try to milk the attention. That's just the way it goes.

Simon's resistance is indeed broken, and so is his serve for the second time in this set.

[Stealth Maestro Agro Love]

4-3 in the first set between Federer and Lopez on Lopez's serve; traditional Federer break time.

And break he does! 5-3 to Federer, he serves for the set.

[I AM AWESOME]

4-3 in the first set between Federer and Lopez on Lopez's serve; traditional Federer break time.

For sure you were correct.

[socal1976]

Fed looks real nice so far first set, playing very smooth and effortlessly like only he can do.

[Mad for Chelsea]

well it was always going to be a tough opener for Andy, but at least he's stepped it up in the third.

[I AM AWESOME]

Fed looks real nice so far first set, playing very smooth and effortlessly like only he can do.

TBH the same happened last time at MC. Then look what happened......

[Wooffie]

BRAVO FELI!!

This is turning into quite a nice match.

[Stealth Maestro Agro Love]

Murray through 6-4, 3-6, 6-0!

Meanwhile, Lopez and Federer are still battling out the first set, another break point for Lopez though... taken!

[Mad for Chelsea]

Murray through

Tough first match, and he did well to battle through. Unlucky Gillou, he didn't deserve the third set bagel.

[Haddie-nuff]

Comon Feli you are doing a grand job

[I AM AWESOME]

OMG Federe saved a break point !

[Wooffie]

Keep going Feli ... you're doing great so far.

[Mad for Chelsea]

the centre court looks quite a bit faster than court 1, or is this just my impression?

[Stealth Maestro Agro Love]

Picks wise Federer vs Lopez doesn't matter, so i'm not too bothered about that one... I already botched my picks up after being lured in by Nicolas 'flatter to decieve' Almagro. The semi finals, dammit!

Ah well, at least the majority of the rest have gone according to plan. Like Hanescu, and Montanes, and Ferrero..........

[Mad for Chelsea]

hmmm, tie break time, interesting...

[Stealth Maestro Agro Love]

the centre court looks quite a bit faster than court 1, or is this just my impression?

Maybe it's just the players? 8)

Federer, Lopez, both relatively flat hitters, Simon, Murray, both not very flat hitters. As a result, Federer v Lopez is always going to be a damn sight faster than Simon vs Murray.

Another thing, Murray and Simon in particular are both baseliners to the very end. Federer and Lopez are less baseline inclined. Again, results in a faster match.

Not everything is down to court speed.

[Wooffie]

Good luck Feli !!!

[Mad for Chelsea]

the centre court looks quite a bit faster than court 1, or is this just my impression?

Maybe it's just the players? 8)

Federer, Lopez, both relatively flat hitters, Simon, Murray, both not very flat hitters. As a result, Federer v Lopez is always going to be a damn sight faster than Simon vs Murray.

Another thing, Murray and Simon in particular are both baseliners to the very end. Federer and Lopez are less baseline inclined. Again, results in a faster match.

Not everything is down to court speed.

Yeah you may be right, also the fact that Murray and Simon are great defenders, so make more balls than Fed and certainly Feli could have something to do with it.

Still think looking at the serving that court 1 was playing slower, but not as much as I first thought...

[Wooffie]

Of course I was only seeing court 1 on the telly, but it looked a right mess.

[Mad for Chelsea]

gosh that's brave, Federer serves a second serve ace on set point down, 6-6 at the changeover

[Sponsored content]