MVN - Most Valuable Network

Nadal-Murray live

Live calling Nadal-Murray.

Well, Nadal’s gotten off to a fast start. Up an early break, and he’s never lost to Murray on any surface–despite some close calls–so there’s no reason to think he’ll lose this match. But I’m calling it because every time these two have played it’s been well worth watching…

Murray serving at 2-4: Murray’s hitting big, bigger than usual on his average rally ball, because he knows he has to try to impose himself. In that game it worked.

Nadal to serving at 4-3: Murray’s pace bugged Nadal there a little, 0-15. Net-cord saved Nadal there from a Murray winner up the line, and he eventually hit a solid over-head to take the point. Bad luck Murray. But then Andy stops in and rips a backhand, enough to draw the error, for 15-30. Another Rafa error gives him two break points. A great Murray return keeps him in the point, and he moves the ball around beautifully, but floats the kill-shot. One saved. Murray frames a forehand. Two saved. His tactics look good though, hitting a lot of top-spin on most shots, and not going for too much when he goes for it. But Rafa earns a game point by dragging Murray around, tiring him out visibly, and then adding the insult of a drop shot. Murray,maybe still winded on the next point, can’t get the return in play. Nadal holds.

Murray serving at 3-5, 15-15: And he goes for too much up the line, nets a forehand for 15-30. Recovers well for 30-30. That time Nadal took his high top-spin and ripped it. That’s only going to work if he moves it around. Give Rafa time to set up and he’s toast. Set point. Nadal gets a little greedy himself, though, going for the winner and missing. Deuce. Another Rafa error. Murray’s almost out of this game. The line was wide-open and Murray over-cooks a sitter forehand cross-court. Not of it yet. Some extremely tame hitting from Andy gives Rafa another set point. So much for tactics: Murray actually looked confused on that last point. But an ace erases it. But another forehand unforced error erases that. You can only escape so many times against Rafa on clay. 6-3, Nadal.

Well, Murray looked convincing enough earning those break points in game eight, but then he folded toward the end of that game and his forehand went away in the next. We’ll see what kind of will he has left now.

Nadal serving at 6-3, 0-0: Some odd maneuvering from both players, but Murray draws a couple errors, 15-30. But Murray’s giving up so much court, the Nadal drop shot does damage again. Another error, though, and suddenly Murray has a break point. And the break! I thought he hadn’t done enough with his big forehand, but it drew the error. Slight concentration drip from Nadal, but Murray’ll take it.

Murray at 3-6, 1-0: He needs to serve about as well as he’s capable, now. That wasn’t enough, Rafa steps in and provokes an embarassing lame-duck lob, 0-15. Murray unravelling on command, 15-30. 15-40. And Murray comes in on a second serve, and almost gets gored by a Nadal forehand at close quarters. It’s all even again in the second set. The score anyway…

Nadal at 6-3, 1-1: But Murray is good-angry at the moment. Drills a forehand and makes it good. Continues to hit out on the next point, but it’s text-book Rafa on clay. Murray can’t quite win the point because he can’t hit seven great shots in a row. A Rafa drop shot, and a weak Murray volley give Rafa game points. A return error gives him the game. I give Murray’s mind another ten minutes to explode…

Murray at 3-6, 1-2: Nadal on the offensive, now. Maybe ten minutes was generous. 0-15. No he scrambles to eke out a point for 15-15, and a nice one-two combination for 30-15. Then he backs up another serve well with a huge forehand for game point. Can’t quite pull ut the defensive backhand bunt on the next point, though. And now Nadal passes him with a low screamer. I was about to talk about an easy service game. Deuce. Now Murray blows a volley with some kind of squash-grip. A huge Rafa backhand winner catches the barest edge of the line, and he has the break. I look forward to Murray’s press conference, and hopefully some mention of Shotspot’s margin of error…

Nadal at 6-3, 3-1: Ferocious forehand approach from Rafa, and a nice low volley into the wide open court. He’s outplaying Murray from the net, so far. But Murray’s turn for aggression, he draws the sitter and puts it away. 15-15. Murray goes for too much angle. Almagro he ain’t. 30-15. Game point. Game. Ten minutes was about right, after all.

Murray to serve at 3-6, 1-4: Nadal has a blister on his finger, but that won’t be nearly enough for Murray. Rafa just misses what would have been a particularly demoralizing defensive lob, 15-0. Murray hangs through another tough point, and another good effort from Rafa at net, 30-0. And a big forehand for 40-0. Murray holds, for a modicum of respect.

Nadal at 6-3, 4-2: Murray screaming at himself now, “Terrible!” He clearly wants to get off the court. Another embarassing loss for Britain’s intended.

Murray at 3-6, 2-5: An angry backhand lands where it needed to ten minutes ago, 15-0. 30-0. A rushed, stupid drop shot lands where it deserves to, 30-15. Rafa actually roaring as he hits a winner–this match feels as good for him as it feels bad for Murray. Match point. And Rafa just pulls up on the story-book passing-shot ending. Deuce. Rafa forehand just long, for Murray’s Ad. What did I say a minute ago about stupid drop shots and where they deserve to go? Deuce, again. Murray caught in no man’s land, watching a Rafa backhand go by. Then he smashes a forehand into the bottom of the net. Rafa looking very, very good. A rough 21st birthday for Murray. Anyone read that “Gentleman Tim” Henman just referred to him, on the BBC no less, as “a miserable git”?

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 15th, 2008 at 11:22 am and is filed under Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal, AMS Hamburg. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.