French Open Day 4 - Will Elgin lose his marbles, or is it grand Larsson-y? And how should we Treat Huey?

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Schedule - http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/scores/schedule/

I think I have been called a Murray hater because I took seriously Goran Ivanisovic comment about Murray letting Lendl go and then discussing with Lydian and a few others Murray's post Lendl results etc.  Some people IMO get over wound up thinking such critical analysis means I hate Murray.  I even know that this comment will affront some saying I am misrepresenting the "hate" accusation.  But sometimes you need to put your point of view and perception out there.  I fear that some are becoming a little too authoritarian in their views of how people should think, write, analyse.  Like overbearing parents. Anyway I may be wrong, I may be right, I may not even care any longer. Maybe I should take an interest in badminton instead.

Get this over quick Andy... don't let him drag you into a tb

Bourgue will fold like a bad poker hand now...he hasn't got the mental or physical strength (yet anyway) to see this through.

After a disastrous afternoon he pulls that shot out of the bag.. a man of two halves !!!

Tbh Nore, so what if you hated Murray anyway...it's a free world.
If people can "love" him on a forum then so can the opposite apply...both extremes of same emotional involvement spectrum - who is to say which one is right?

Murray doesn't get going until set 4...lol

Understandable viewpoints from you both I guess.

Just bear in mind if you focus on a negative extreme, with no consistency to others, don't be surprised if you lose people who find it just brings their enjoyment down. It's how we lose almost everyone

He's aiming to become the first player to win a slam having played 35 sets.

lydian wrote:Tbh Nore, so what if you hated Murray anyway...it's a free world.
If people can "love" him on a forum then so can the opposite apply...both extremes of same emotional involvement spectrum - who is to say which one is right?

I think the biggest frustration people have is the sense of being misrepresented by others.

JuliusHMarx wrote:He's aiming to become the first player to win a slam having played 35 sets.

Hope he has a spare pair of legs

We should perhaps note this upturn has coincided with Andy showing some emotion again. Passive doesn't seem to do it for him very well

There you go .. the break

COME ON!

This photo of Murray on Guardian live site just cracked me up....

Haddie-nuff wrote:

JuliusHMarx wrote:He's aiming to become the first player to win a slam having played 35 sets.

Hope he has a spare pair of legs

Someone told him his record in fifth sets isn't as good as Nadal's and Djokovic's, so he's working on that

Bourgue's race does look run, he looks cooked out there, not surprising given I'm guessing this is the first time he's ever played a five setter. Murray just needs to stay focused, which he's doing so far. COME ON!

Come on, it's a predictable win...Bourgue was never going to win this.
His emotional upturn is also due to his opponents downturn too.

Murray can't afford too many more of these matches though as they're more than 5/3s of a 3 set match in terms of energy expended.

Mad for Chelsea wrote:COME ON!

LETS GO! :-)

Homeward stretch Andy !!!

4-1 Bourgue may have cracked now.

Taken Andy this far to reach parity on total points...and he didn't close that service game as easily as I expected from 40 ; so not over yet. But you'd think his Houdini act is going to come off...

Bourgue can say he was nearly a hero for an afternoon.

Mad for Chelsea wrote:

Haddie-nuff wrote:

JuliusHMarx wrote:He's aiming to become the first player to win a slam having played 35 sets.

Hope he has a spare pair of legs

Someone told him his record in fifth sets isn't as good as Nadal's and Djokovic's, so he's working on that

Bourgue's race does look run, he looks cooked out there, not surprising given I'm guessing this is the first time he's ever played a five setter. Murray just needs to stay focused, which he's doing so far. COME ON!

He has never played on the WTA World Tour - he is a challenger level player.  He got a wild card into the French Open and played a 216 ranked qualifier (or wild card) in the first round.  

People on this forum should be celebrating Bourgue's brave performance and elan vital.  Aujourd'hui nous somme tous Les Parisiens.  Allez.  Bon courage Monsieur Bourgue. Nous somme vraiment fiers de vous.

Nore Staat wrote:

Mad for Chelsea wrote:

Haddie-nuff wrote:

JuliusHMarx wrote:He's aiming to become the first player to win a slam having played 35 sets.

Hope he has a spare pair of legs

Someone told him his record in fifth sets isn't as good as Nadal's and Djokovic's, so he's working on that

Bourgue's race does look run, he looks cooked out there, not surprising given I'm guessing this is the first time he's ever played a five setter. Murray just needs to stay focused, which he's doing so far. COME ON!

He has never played on the WTA World Tour - he is a challenger level player.  He got a wild card into the French Open and player a 216 ranked qualifier (or wild card) in the first round.  People on this forum should be celebrating Bourgue's brave performance and elan vital.  Aujourd'hui nous somme tous Les Parisiens.  Allez.  Bon courage Monsieur Bourgue.

I should hope not, you do know what the "W" in WTA stands for don't you?

Yes. Cracked.

Andy just needs to serve it out and get ready for the press grilling

Quite an escape.

I agree irrespective of the fact that Murray wasn't Murray today it cannot be denied that the Frenchman has put up a brave performance all credit to him.

I'm pleased to hear he's not played on the WTA.

Ah but....... if he identifies as a female tennis player I guess they'll have to let him. Her. I mean....

Oh Andy, what a silly game that was. Focus, now, COME ON!

Ha. Spoke too soon...

Andy got careless in his haste to finish this...going to have to go again.

I see Andy's showing us he can be just as crap in the early part of slams as he has been in the early part of all the other events, he's entered, recently

Mad for Chelsea wrote:

Nore Staat wrote:

Mad for Chelsea wrote:

Haddie-nuff wrote:

JuliusHMarx wrote:He's aiming to become the first player to win a slam having played 35 sets.

Hope he has a spare pair of legs

Someone told him his record in fifth sets isn't as good as Nadal's and Djokovic's, so he's working on that

Bourgue's race does look run, he looks cooked out there, not surprising given I'm guessing this is the first time he's ever played a five setter. Murray just needs to stay focused, which he's doing so far. COME ON!

He has never played on the WTA World Tour - he is a challenger level player.  He got a wild card into the French Open and player a 216 ranked qualifier (or wild card) in the first round.  People on this forum should be celebrating Bourgue's brave performance and elan vital.  Aujourd'hui nous somme tous Les Parisiens.  Allez.  Bon courage Monsieur Bourgue.

I should hope not, you do know what the "W" in WTA stands for don't you?

I feel humiliated by my error.  Not as humiliated as Murray dropping two sets to the gallic no-hoper.  But nevertheless quite humiliated.

If ever I need endorsement as to why I do not predict the outcome of a GS this is it

Whatever the result , have to give Bourgue enormous credit for his game - fighting it right out

But surely Andy will serve it out now ?
Or will he ? 15-30...

Now Andy Now

YES!

Phew

Well he won it the hard way but won it he did

Welll done to the Frenchman what a heart

Phew - take 2.

Congrats to both players

But I'm turning in early in round three - can't watch Andy doing this again

Bourgue should be proud of his performance. Clearly the best performance of his career by quite a margin. But I rather suspect he gained a lot of confidence by the way Murray was playing. Be interested to hear from Murray what happened when he was 6-2 2-0 up, with Bourgue winning the next 8 or more games.

Well, Andy certainly made hard work of it - 6-2 2-0 and he switched off mentally and let Bourgue back into it. After that, Bourgue came alive and played great for two sets (Andy was awful for the rest of the 2nd set, but picked up a bit during set 3, which was probably the best tennis of the match), but eventually Andy's fitness and mental toughness was enough.

Karlovic next, who himself played a long 5 setter, winning 12-10 in the 5th. Could be a bit of a battle of statues after what they've done today.

Nore Staat wrote:Bourgue should be proud of his performance.  Clearly the best performance of his career by quite a margin.  But I rather suspect he gained a lot of confidence by the way Murray was playing.  Be interested to hear from Murray what happened when he was 6-2 2-0 up, with Bourgue winning the next 8 or more games.

I doubt Murray will reveal too much.

Nore Staat wrote:Be interested to hear from Murray what happened when he was 6-2 2-0 up

I know exactly what's wrong and why he's so distracted. Young Sophia will now be poised to move on to solids and he's probably wondering whether to go with Cow and Gate, Hipp, Heinz or tell Kim to stop been so lazy and make it herself

dummy_half wrote:Well, Andy certainly made hard work of it - 6-2 2-0 and he switched off mentally and let Bourgue back into it. After that, Bourgue came alive and played great for two sets (Andy was awful for the rest of the 2nd set, but picked up a bit during set 3, which was probably the best tennis of the match), but eventually Andy's fitness and mental toughness was enough.

Karlovic next, who himself played a long 5 setter, winning 12-10 in the 5th. Could be a bit of a battle of statues after what they've done today.

More up Murray's street. Karlo's not known for having a good return or movement around the court. He also gives him so speed to work with

Only saw from 3-5 in set 3 so can't comment on the earlier games. At first Murray seemed to be playing too passively and allowing Bourgue to dominate. Bourgue was also playing well. At 15-40 down in the first game of set 4 Murray started playing with more power and belief and from then on was more or less in control. Although to be fair again to Bourgue he was still playing a lot of good tennis.

His comment after the match was that at 2-0 up in set 2  Bourgue started to play at a very good level and was not allowing him to get into points yet alone win them.

JuliusHMarx wrote:

Nore Staat wrote:Bourgue should be proud of his performance.  Clearly the best performance of his career by quite a margin.  But I rather suspect he gained a lot of confidence by the way Murray was playing.  Be interested to hear from Murray what happened when he was 6-2 2-0 up, with Bourgue winning the next 8 or more games.

I doubt Murray will reveal too much.

Maybe it was Murray rather than Elgin that lost his marbles

Calder106 wrote:Only saw from 3-5 in set 3 so can't comment on the earlier games. At first Murray seemed to be playing too passively and allowing Bourgue to dominate. Bourgue was also playing well. At 15-40 down in the first game of set 4 Murray started playing with more power and belief and from then on was more or less in control. Although to be fair again to Bourgue he was still playing a lot of good tennis.

His comment after the match was that at 2-0 up in set 2  Bourgue started to play at a very good level and was not allowing him to get into points yet alone win them.

So Borgue upped his level and Murray was unable to respond.

I suppose Murray never having played Borgue or probably even seen him play (he is a challenger level player) just couldn't read his game when he upped his level.  

The BBC commentators were saying Murray's technique went to pot - and they saw no evidence of an injury.  They later went on to say that Murray looked like he was resigned to losing and said he was not shouting at his players box as he had in the Stepanek match.  They were wondering whether the "Mauresmo incident" was having an impact on him in the way he was acting on the court.  Before anyone else jumps in - I don't think the BBC commentators are Murray Haters, and I am just reporting what they said.  They were just concerned in what they were seeing and expressing their point of view.

NS

From what I saw, Borgue definitely upped his level as Murray went flat, and then the crowd got into it as well. Andy's performance reminded me of both the start of the Stepanek match and particularly his loss to Dimitrov at Wimby a couple of years ago - emotionally flat and with his technique having gone completely to pot.

As for whether there was something wrong, Andy did seem to be worrying about his stomach for a while. Doubt it was muscular, as he was able to crank up the power later, but perhaps he was having some temporary discomfort - noticeable though that he never called for the trainer, so perhaps it was as much a nervous tic as a physical issue...

You raise an interesting general point Dummyhalf: just how players feed themselves when there is uncertainty as exactly when they will be on court. No-one seems to suffer from indigestion. I suppose they have feeding down to an art. For females they have the addition of the menstrual cycle that can affect physical performance. I assume they are banned from taking drugs that delay the cycle - but then again some females can really cramp up.

dummy_half wrote:NS

From what I saw, Borgue definitely upped his level as Murray went flat, and then the crowd got into it as well. Andy's performance reminded me of both the start of the Stepanek match and particularly his loss to Dimitrov at Wimby a couple of years ago - emotionally flat and with his technique having gone completely to pot.

As for whether there was something wrong, Andy did seem to be worrying about his stomach for a while. Doubt it was muscular, as he was able to crank up the power later, but perhaps he was having some temporary discomfort - noticeable though that he never called for the trainer, so perhaps it was as much a nervous tic as a physical issue...

Sounds fair, to me. Murray's biggest weakness, as I mentioned the other week is that he's too easily distracted. Give him a perfect seven days on and off the court and he's probably winning slams. Problem is, it's impossible to get that, but he seems to be unable to understand that

bogbrush wrote:I see Pusher Simon is on his way out. Tragic.

Premature speculation perhaps ;-)?

Born Slippy wrote:

bogbrush wrote:I see Pusher Simon is on his way out. Tragic.

Premature speculation perhaps ;-)?

Yes, I'm afraid Craig and temp got me a bit over stimulated!

Good to see Simon through against expectation

Lets have a word of praise for Jack Sock. Having pulled out a win from the Haase in the first round he has just come through the Brown in the second. Who knows what awaits him in the turd third round.