Andy Murray and Scottish tennis

[Annie]

I watched the second and third sets (lucky Kolya's match in St. P was late) and I must tell you people, excluding Marat's losses I don't remember feeling so down after the match had ended...

I was totally totally devastated. With all due respect to Andy and his fans I sooooooooo wanted Tim to win after he so brilliantly played the second set. I almost cried when he hit the ball into the net when it was 5:2 on a TB in the third set....seriously. I take a bow and thank you dearest Tim for an incredible pleasure of watching you play.

And good luck and congrats to Andy. Fix that attitude boy and drop the boyishness and you will go very very far

[Annie]

By Mark Ledsom

BASEL, Switzerland, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Scottish teenager Andy Murray was celebrating another career milestone on Wednesday after beating British number one Tim Henman in the first round of the Swiss Indoors tournament.

"That was definitely the biggest win of my career," Murray told reporters after completing a 6-2 5-7 7-6 win over his friend, training partner and rival.

"Tim has been one of the best or most consistent players of the last decade and to win against someone I have so much respect for is a pretty good deal for me and also something that's very special emotionally."

Ranked 70th in the world, after soaring up from 357th place in June, the 18-year-old Murray is already being hailed as the future of British tennis.

In the opening stages of his first competitive meeting with Henman, he lived up to that billing. The Scot got off to a flying start by winning the first four games.

Henman rallied in the second set, however, with several trademark runs into the net.

Seeded sixth, and chasing his third Basel title, the world number 28 appeared to have turned things around after successfully preventing Murray from serving out the match at 5-4.

A tightly-fought third set ensued with neither player being stretched to a break point.

Murray held his nerve in the tiebreak, profiting from a couple of unforced Henman errors to seal the decider 7-4.

As well as the inevitable "Battle of Britain" tag, Wednesday's match was seen as a potential changing of the guard within the higher ranks of British tennis.

Neither player agreed with that assessment.

"It's not (a change of the guard) for me," Murray insisted. "He's still a top 30 player even though he's had a bad year by his standards.

"If he comes back next year and plays the way people know he can, then he can still be in the top 30 or even 20. At the moment I'm still just in the top 70, so it's not like that at all."

Henman added: "I don't know what this mystery thing is that I'm meant to be passing on. "What is it? A torch, a flag, a baton?"

"Whatever it is I'm more than happy for Andy to have it. I guess I've had it since the first time I beat (former British number one) Jeremy Bates but for us players it's irrelevant.

"I'm frustrated and disappointed to have lost today because I don't feel I executed my shots very well but in the overall context of things it's just another match."

[Annie]

[raghda]

hmm Good luck Andy
he looks like some celebrity I cant remmeber who now but he looks familliar to me

[jewell]

He faces Berdych next, should be a tough match but i expect him to win.

[SAFINNO1]

Yeah it will be a tough match but if he can play like he has been playing then he should win.
Oh well tim got bercy left, has got points to defend otherwise Greg may catch him up as british no 1

[SAFINNO1]

Murray is 5th on center court, not before 20.00 local time

OOP
www.atptennis.com/en/common/TrackIt.asp?file=/en/common/TrackIt.asp?file=/posting/2005/328/OP.pdf

[SAFINNO1]

Murray backed to beat injury woes
By Tom Fordyce

Britain's Davis Cup physio says Andy Murray will overcome the physical problems that have dogged his career.
Murray has climbed into the world's top 70 this season but has struggled with injury throughout his meteoric rise.

But Mark Bender said: "He's a teenager who has had a massive increase in the physical demands on him. These niggles are just a stage for him.

[glow=red,2,300]Give him 18 months and he will be a pretty impressive athlete. He could end up like Marat Safin."
[/glow]

Murray beat Tim Henman in three sets on Wednesday at the Swiss Indoors to underline his potential.

But he was forced to quit the Ethias Trophy earlier this month with hamstring injuries and struggled badly with cramp during his defeats at Wimbledon and the US Open.

[Annie]

Murray builds on Basel success over Henman
2005-10-27 21:27:10 GMT (Reuters)

By Mark Ledsom

BASEL, Switzerland, Oct 27 (Reuters) - British teenager Andy Murray has booked a place in the quarter-finals of the $850,250 Swiss Indoors, following up Wednesday's win over Tim Henman with a 6-4 2-6 6-4 victory over Czech Tomas Berdych.

Thursday's second round encounter was another nervy affair with Murray eventually winning through thanks to a clever choice of shots but also due to some glaring lapses from his higher-ranked opponent.

"That was pretty hard physically because yesterday took a lot out of me," Murray told reporters after winning in one hour and 54 minutes.

"I woke up pretty stiff this morning and didn't feel that great in practice but once I warmed up in the match it felt okay."

After successfully defending four break points in his second service game, the 18-year-old was effectively gifted the first set when Berdych served two double faults at the end of game seven.

The Czech world number 52 upped his game in the second set, breaking Murray twice without reply, but was unable to continue the momentum into the deciding set.

Once again, it was the seventh game that was to prove key with Murray winning three break points only for Berdych to double-fault once more.


IMPRESSIVE SEASON

Though far from pretty, Thursday's win continues an impressive season for Murray who has risen from world number 357 in June to his current ranking of 70th.

His chances of winning his first ATP title have also been boosted by a number of earlier upsets.

Top seed Guillermo Coria, third seed Juan Carlos Ferrero, seventh seed Jiri Novak and eighth seed Tommy Haas all made early exits on Thursday.

Those results will have no immediate benefit though for Murray as he is now due to face surviving fourth seed Fernando Gonzalez of Chile in Friday's quarter-final action.

"Playing against him won't be completely different to playing Berdych because (Gonzalez) obviously serves big and has probably the biggest forehand in the men's game," Murray said.

"I saw that some of the other top players lost but I just have to look at the next match. To beat Gonzalez I'll probably have to play my best ever match, so I haven't even looked to see who I could play next."

[SAFINNO1]

What a journey this kid's having, can't wait to see him play Gonzalez, it should be an awesome match.

Murray should be on court today 7 BST

[SAFINNO1]

Tough Murray defeated by Gonzalez

Hard-hitting Chilean Fernando Gonzalez ended Briton Andy Murray's run at the Swiss Indoors defeating him 6-4 3-6 6-1 in an entertaining match in Basel.
Gonzalez's fierce forehands and big serves ate away at Murray's resolve and he took the opener with a single break.

The Scot rallied and fought off eight break points before carving out a break of his own, as Gonzalez wobbled, to tie the match one-set all.

But Gonzalez broke a fading Murray twice in the decider to seal victory.

The Chilean will now meet fifth seed Dominik Hrbaty in the semi-finals after he beat Belgian Kristof Vliegen 6-7 6-1 6-3.

"I'm a bit disappointed because I thought I was serving as well as I did in the other matches," said Murray.

"I'm happy with the two wins I had here but not with the way I played. I'm not doing so well in the rallies.

"But I suppose it's a good sign when you're beating top 50 players without playing your best tennis."

Murray got down to business at St Jakobshalle, winning 11 straight points on his serve.

But the world number 17 jolted the Scot out of his comfort zone with his powerful returns and seized on a short second serve to break in the seventh game.

Murray could find no way past the Wimbledon quarter-finalist as he swiftly served out for the set in 31 minutes.

The 18-year-old staved off four break-points in the opening game of the second set as Gonzalez battered him with his attacking groundstrokes.

Murray held off four more in a brilliant third game which saw both players display quick hands and legs as they chased around court.

The Scot's determination must have rattled Gonzalez as a series of unforced errors saw him surrender his serve at 4-2.

Murray coolly served out to love to level the match in just over an hour and set up a thrilling decider.

But Gonzalez grabbed control of the third set, breaking Murray at the first time of asking with some powerful groundstrokes, and raced to a 3-0 lead
Murray visibly faded and was broken again as Gonzalez's power and experience proved too much.

[Annie]

Rusedski welcomes rise of fellow Briton Murray
2005-11-01 03:15:05 GMT (Reuters)

By Patrick Vignal

PARIS, Nov 1 (Reuters) - After fighting with Tim Henman over domestic bragging rights for years, Greg Rusedski is quite happy to see another British player making headlines.

"We've been waiting for this for a decade, Tim and myself," Rusedski said, referring to the rise of Scottish teenager Andy Murray.

"I see him getting in the top 50, which he is very close to doing, then possibly the top 20.

"He's got a great mindset. His game is very well-suited for the way tennis is played nowadays with his return of serve, groundstroke game. His serve is also getting better."

The 32-year-old Rusedski moved to within one win of finishing the season as the British number one when he beat Italian qualifier Andreas Seppi 6-3 6-4 in a first round match at the Paris Masters on Monday.

Rusedski, who started the week ranked 38th on the ATP entry list, six spots below Henman, will end the year ahead of his compatriot if he beats Russian Nikolay Davydenko in the next round.

Henman, who won the tournament in 2003, was forced to withdraw and end his season prematurely because of a rib injury.

"If I win that match (against Davydenko), I go to British number one for the end of the season, which is great for me," said Rusedski, who won the Paris Masters in 1998 but had not entered it since 2001.

"We usually say it doesn't mean much, but it definitely does," Rusedski said of his battle with Henman for the top spot among British players.

"With all the things I've had to go through the last six years, it would be a big deal for me to get back to British number one," he added.


STEALING LIMELIGHT

For years British tennis was all about Henman and Rusedski but now the gifted 18-year-old Murray is stealing some of the limelight.

Rusedski does not mind.

"I think it's just great for the British public to have three players," said Rusedski.

"When you have the new kid on the block, it's always exciting. He's come out at the right time for British tennis.

"I think all three of us are different character and personalities. That kind of makes it interesting and draws people to tennis.

"He (Murray)'s young, he's a little brash on the court. He doesn't really mind what he does out there and finds any which way to win, which I think the public likes to see. There's always a story with him somewhere."

[SAFINNO1]

Should be intersting to see what happens in the Scotland v England match.
C'MON ENGLAND

[maryb]

Andy was at the boxing in the Braehead arena(Renfrewshire) last night and said that he's going to watch Amir Khan train next Friday - he's hoping to pick up some tips on his conditioning. He's hoping to try and work on his fitness throughout December in preparation for 2006.

'There are some things you can relate to tennis, deciding whether to defend or attack, changing tactics throughout the game and for every opponent.

'So, in some ways, it is similar to what I do - but I don't get punched in the head, so I suppose I have it a bit easier.' ;D

[Annie]

lol well there's logic there somewhere I suppose ;D ;D ;D