Damon Runyon would have loved modern tennis, with all its seductive – some would say corrupting – betting options but, if he were allowed on the premises, even he would struggle to frame an attractive price for either combatant in the final of the 2016 Australian Open on Sunday.
For all that the old rascal reckoned “the race is not always to the swift nor the battle to the strong, but that’s the way to bet”, there is not enough between Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray to suggest the Serb will enjoy an easy time of it on Rod Laver Arena, where he has beaten the Scot three times in finals.
The world No1, who is in awesome form but has shown vulnerability too, will be a slight favourite, and it might be that Murray embraces Runyon’s other dictum: “Life is mainly 6-5 against.”
“Both are obviously important,” Murray said. “They kind of go hand in hand. If you want to win against Novak, it’s going to be physical. He returns very well, he is solid off both sides, moves great. You don’t get lots of free points. Pretty much all of the matches I have played against him in slams have been very tough physically.”
Murray, just slightly impatient, was less prepared to elaborate on the other pressure in his life – a much nicer one as it happens: the imminent arrival of his first child. But he did confirm he would rush straight from the tennis, regardless of the result, to Sydney airport for the quickest possible flight back to London, where his heavily pregnant wife, Kim, is waiting for him at their home in Oxshott in Surrey.
His father-in-law, Nigel Sears, who collapsed in the stands last Saturday and flew back to the UK on Monday after being kept overnight for tests in a Melbourne hospital, will also be there to greet him.
There is a 3.30am flight due to land at Heathrow at 6.15pm Monday, and Murray will do his best to be on it. Meanwhile, there is business to take care of.
“I’m expecting a battle with Andy,” Djokovic said. “It always is a very physically demanding match, lots of rallies, exchanges. We have games that are very much alike. It’s basically who’s going to outplay who from the baseline. Serve is an important factor, too. Both of us will try to serve a high percentage of first serves and not allow the other player to attack the second serve too many times.”
In that regard, the champion has had a better tournament than Murray. Djokovic has tied for third on the tournament list with 134 points from 217 second serves, at 62%, to Murray’s 138 from 243 at 57%, which places him equal 17th. That will not encourage much investment on the world No2.
“There has been a lot of talks about his second serve,” Djokovic continued, “and I’m sure he and his team are very much aware of that. He’s known around the tour as one of the hardest working guys and somebody who really puts in the hours on the tennis court, and off the court, trying to perfect his game.
“I’m not surprised that he’s trying to get his game to a higher level. That’s expected. If it wasn’t so, he wouldn’t be in the finals. On the other hand, I’m also working on things to improve, and I’m sure that we will try to explore each other’s weaknesses.”
Djokovic’s contention that they will play mostly from the baseline is hardly a blinding revelation – although if either player is in a hole, desperation will kick in. For the most part, they will stand, deliver then grind. The Serb has not followed his serve to the net once in 597 opportunities the past fortnight. Murray has tried it five times in 601 serves, for a 3-2 success. Both have sharpened their short game once the ball is in play, Murray winning 97 points in 122 visits to the net, a slightly better return for his daring than Djokovic’s 93 from 124.
So, who is king of the baseline at this Australian opponent? David Ferrer, whom Murray ground down in the quarter-finals, leads everyone with 309 points from 560 back-of-the-court exchanges (55 per cent). Djokovic is a percentage point behind the Spaniard (with 407/578), two ahead of Murray (392/750).
These are fine distinctions, which will blur in the heat of the contest, and, as Murray’s coach, Amélie Mauresmo, pointed out to journalists on Saturday: “The margins between the two players aren’t enormous. It is feasible [to beat him]. You have to enter the court with very precise ideas about what to do.”
Mauresmo, reminded she had won the title here a decade ago, said: “I don’t really care about the 10-year anniversary. It’s past and it’s a different life. For me now there are different things. I will be very happy for Andy if he can get this one.” She said of Djokovic’s consistency: “When you see the quality of the players he faces throughout the season, it’s very impressive. He doesn’t always play really well, but he usually comes out on top. Generally, at the end of grand slam tournaments, he plays really well. He is a difficult question to resolve.”
Murray knows that. He has suffered through 21 defeats in 30 contests against Djokovic, some of them brutal. Last year’s match was particularly stormy.
Murray reckoned his nemesis made much of little when appearing to wobble on the edge of collapse, only to recover and blow him off the court. Looking back on one of his most tormented nights, he said: “If I do get ahead in the match, I need to keep doing what I’m doing, and not get away from that. I need to maintain my concentration for long enough.”
That is history. What they have here is contemporary form, matching ambition and, well, a bit more history to make. Murray is striving to become the first player in the Open era to win a slam after losing in the final of that event four times; in front of Djokovic is the prospect of drawing clear of Stefan Edberg and Roger Federer (whom he beat in the semi-final, their 45th contest) with six Australian titles in the Open era – and from as many attempts.
He was generous in his praise of Murray, and there seemed no hidden animus. Djokovic watched – and admired – the last set of Murray’s ruthless finishing of a wounded, fight-to-the-last Milos Raonic on Friday night, observing: “That’s why Andy is a top player for so many years, a grand slam champion, because he always makes players give their best and at times kind of go over their own physical limits.”
If injury or exhaustion kicks in on Sunday night, neither will spare much sympathy for his stricken foe. But Murray, in a way, is hurt before he steps on court: by three defeats against Djokovic, and one against Federer in Australian finals. While he says reaching five finals here is a great achievement, he desperately wants to beat the champion. He has had enough of picking up silver plates, while his old rival holds aloft the winner’s cup.
Djokovic knows how that he feels too. He was visibly upset after losing to Stan Wawrinka when the one slam title he has yet to win was supposedly in his gift: the French Open last summer. On top of that, he had to get used to losing to Rafael Nadal there on a regular basis when the Spaniard was invincible.
As Djokovic remarked: “I’ve played him many times – and been in the situation before where I haven’t won specific tournaments, like Roland Garros for example, against players like Nadal who were dominating there.
“So I understand the kind of desire and will to win that is present. Of course I don’t underestimate him. No question about it. I have a tremendous respect and admiration for everything he’s achieved in his career. We grew up together. It’s nice to see that our rivalry keeps on going and we keep playing for the biggest titles.”
“Nice” might not be the first word that occurs to either player at the end of their 31st contest.
(Guardian)
For all that the old rascal reckoned “the race is not always to the swift nor the battle to the strong, but that’s the way to bet”, there is not enough between Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray to suggest the Serb will enjoy an easy time of it on Rod Laver Arena, where he has beaten the Scot three times in finals.
The world No1, who is in awesome form but has shown vulnerability too, will be a slight favourite, and it might be that Murray embraces Runyon’s other dictum: “Life is mainly 6-5 against.”
“Both are obviously important,” Murray said. “They kind of go hand in hand. If you want to win against Novak, it’s going to be physical. He returns very well, he is solid off both sides, moves great. You don’t get lots of free points. Pretty much all of the matches I have played against him in slams have been very tough physically.”
Murray, just slightly impatient, was less prepared to elaborate on the other pressure in his life – a much nicer one as it happens: the imminent arrival of his first child. But he did confirm he would rush straight from the tennis, regardless of the result, to Sydney airport for the quickest possible flight back to London, where his heavily pregnant wife, Kim, is waiting for him at their home in Oxshott in Surrey.
His father-in-law, Nigel Sears, who collapsed in the stands last Saturday and flew back to the UK on Monday after being kept overnight for tests in a Melbourne hospital, will also be there to greet him.
There is a 3.30am flight due to land at Heathrow at 6.15pm Monday, and Murray will do his best to be on it. Meanwhile, there is business to take care of.
“I’m expecting a battle with Andy,” Djokovic said. “It always is a very physically demanding match, lots of rallies, exchanges. We have games that are very much alike. It’s basically who’s going to outplay who from the baseline. Serve is an important factor, too. Both of us will try to serve a high percentage of first serves and not allow the other player to attack the second serve too many times.”
In that regard, the champion has had a better tournament than Murray. Djokovic has tied for third on the tournament list with 134 points from 217 second serves, at 62%, to Murray’s 138 from 243 at 57%, which places him equal 17th. That will not encourage much investment on the world No2.
“There has been a lot of talks about his second serve,” Djokovic continued, “and I’m sure he and his team are very much aware of that. He’s known around the tour as one of the hardest working guys and somebody who really puts in the hours on the tennis court, and off the court, trying to perfect his game.
“I’m not surprised that he’s trying to get his game to a higher level. That’s expected. If it wasn’t so, he wouldn’t be in the finals. On the other hand, I’m also working on things to improve, and I’m sure that we will try to explore each other’s weaknesses.”
Djokovic’s contention that they will play mostly from the baseline is hardly a blinding revelation – although if either player is in a hole, desperation will kick in. For the most part, they will stand, deliver then grind. The Serb has not followed his serve to the net once in 597 opportunities the past fortnight. Murray has tried it five times in 601 serves, for a 3-2 success. Both have sharpened their short game once the ball is in play, Murray winning 97 points in 122 visits to the net, a slightly better return for his daring than Djokovic’s 93 from 124.
So, who is king of the baseline at this Australian opponent? David Ferrer, whom Murray ground down in the quarter-finals, leads everyone with 309 points from 560 back-of-the-court exchanges (55 per cent). Djokovic is a percentage point behind the Spaniard (with 407/578), two ahead of Murray (392/750).
These are fine distinctions, which will blur in the heat of the contest, and, as Murray’s coach, Amélie Mauresmo, pointed out to journalists on Saturday: “The margins between the two players aren’t enormous. It is feasible [to beat him]. You have to enter the court with very precise ideas about what to do.”
Mauresmo, reminded she had won the title here a decade ago, said: “I don’t really care about the 10-year anniversary. It’s past and it’s a different life. For me now there are different things. I will be very happy for Andy if he can get this one.” She said of Djokovic’s consistency: “When you see the quality of the players he faces throughout the season, it’s very impressive. He doesn’t always play really well, but he usually comes out on top. Generally, at the end of grand slam tournaments, he plays really well. He is a difficult question to resolve.”
Murray knows that. He has suffered through 21 defeats in 30 contests against Djokovic, some of them brutal. Last year’s match was particularly stormy.
Murray reckoned his nemesis made much of little when appearing to wobble on the edge of collapse, only to recover and blow him off the court. Looking back on one of his most tormented nights, he said: “If I do get ahead in the match, I need to keep doing what I’m doing, and not get away from that. I need to maintain my concentration for long enough.”
That is history. What they have here is contemporary form, matching ambition and, well, a bit more history to make. Murray is striving to become the first player in the Open era to win a slam after losing in the final of that event four times; in front of Djokovic is the prospect of drawing clear of Stefan Edberg and Roger Federer (whom he beat in the semi-final, their 45th contest) with six Australian titles in the Open era – and from as many attempts.
He was generous in his praise of Murray, and there seemed no hidden animus. Djokovic watched – and admired – the last set of Murray’s ruthless finishing of a wounded, fight-to-the-last Milos Raonic on Friday night, observing: “That’s why Andy is a top player for so many years, a grand slam champion, because he always makes players give their best and at times kind of go over their own physical limits.”
If injury or exhaustion kicks in on Sunday night, neither will spare much sympathy for his stricken foe. But Murray, in a way, is hurt before he steps on court: by three defeats against Djokovic, and one against Federer in Australian finals. While he says reaching five finals here is a great achievement, he desperately wants to beat the champion. He has had enough of picking up silver plates, while his old rival holds aloft the winner’s cup.
Djokovic knows how that he feels too. He was visibly upset after losing to Stan Wawrinka when the one slam title he has yet to win was supposedly in his gift: the French Open last summer. On top of that, he had to get used to losing to Rafael Nadal there on a regular basis when the Spaniard was invincible.
As Djokovic remarked: “I’ve played him many times – and been in the situation before where I haven’t won specific tournaments, like Roland Garros for example, against players like Nadal who were dominating there.
“So I understand the kind of desire and will to win that is present. Of course I don’t underestimate him. No question about it. I have a tremendous respect and admiration for everything he’s achieved in his career. We grew up together. It’s nice to see that our rivalry keeps on going and we keep playing for the biggest titles.”
“Nice” might not be the first word that occurs to either player at the end of their 31st contest.
(Guardian)
No comments:
Post a Comment