Caledonian Craig Posted May 12, 2015 Share Posted May 12, 2015 Some real testing matches there. Chardy is no clay court mug as he beat Federer in Rome last year. Tsonga I am not too concerned about though. Ferrer is like a brickwall so physically that will be a test. Djokovic will be both physical and mental test and if he comes through that I'd expect him to take the title but that is all a long, long way off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angus_Young Posted May 12, 2015 Share Posted May 12, 2015 Murray decides to play in Rome, so he must be feeling fine physically and his confidence is obviously sky high. He'll still have a clear week to prepare for the French and with an extra week between RG and Wimbledon this year, the top players have a bit more recovery time. Possible opponents in Rome: R32 - Chardy R16 - Tsonga QF - Ferrer SF - Djokovic F - Federer / Nadal Well worth playing in, especially when you see the possible path he needs to take. It's win win. Do well and his confidence is through the roof. Lose and he can put it down to too many games. Easy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biffer Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 Murray through comfortably against Chardy, 6-4 6-3. Tonga is no clay courter, so hopefully that should be a win, and I'm of the opinion Ferrer is on the slide. He's 33 and still to be taken seriously, but he's not been setting the heather on fire in the clay court this season and that's usually his strongest surface. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biffer Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 Typical BBC overhype, with a suitable reaction from Murray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biffer Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 Murray to play Goffin today, who beat Tsonga yesterday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairbairn Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 Murray withdraws from Italian Open due to "fatigue"... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BremnerLorimerGray Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 Murray withdraws from Italian Open due to "fatigue"... I'm suprised he's pulled out given he swithered with entering in the first place. There was hardly much point in even playing Chadry now, unless the match took more out him he thought it would. At least it gives him a decent recent before Roland Garros, where hopefully he can push for another slam as he been imperious so far in the clay court season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grantyboy1983 Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 Bit of a bummer, would have liked to have seen how he would have faired if he got through to play Novak, but it's got to be the right decision at the end of the day as I don't think it is one that he would have made lightly. Still undefeated this season on clay going into The French Open. The semi-finals have got to be a realistic expectation on this form. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
min Posted May 14, 2015 Author Share Posted May 14, 2015 Murray withdraws from Italian Open due to "fatigue"... Strange decision at this stage, but only Murray knows how he feels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
min Posted May 15, 2015 Author Share Posted May 15, 2015 Nadal loses his QF in Rome. This'll be the first time in more than 10 years that he's gone to RG without a clay masters tournament win. Some people have been forecasting his demise for the last few years, but they may now gave a point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
min Posted May 17, 2015 Author Share Posted May 17, 2015 Another (what appears to be) routine win for Djokovic in Rome for his 4th Masters title of the season and 24th overall (overtaking Federer in that respect). The bookies have him odds-on to complete his career Grand Slam in France and it's hard to argue otherwise. Hopefully Murray will be in the other half of the draw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caledonian Craig Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 Many people are tipping Djokovic for not only the career Grand Slam but the Calendar Year Grand Slam this year but I am not so sure. I make him a very warm to hot favourite for the French Open but I can't see him winning Wimbledon. He is not the best grass court player in the world and may not even make it into the top five in my opinion so that is where I see him missing out. Even more so if he wins in RG then the euphoria will be big for him as he has strived so long for it so perhaps he'd enter Wimbledon a little flat after the euphoria. The US Open is certainly winnable for him but he doesn't have a fantastic record there compared to Australian Open. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caledonian Craig Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 A stinker of a draw for Andy Murray at the French Open. He has been drawn to face Rafa in the QF's and Novak in the SF's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caledonian Craig Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 A stinker of a draw for Andy Murray at the French Open. He has been drawn to face Rafa in the QF's and Novak in the SF's. I think that's a knee-jerk reaction actually as I think Novak plays Rafa in the QF's if both get there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usainboltyarocket Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 Many people are tipping Djokovic for not only the career Grand Slam but the Calendar Year Grand Slam this year but I am not so sure. I make him a very warm to hot favourite for the French Open but I can't see him winning Wimbledon. He is not the best grass court player in the world and may not even make it into the top five in my opinion so that is where I see him missing out. Even more so if he wins in RG then the euphoria will be big for him as he has strived so long for it so perhaps he'd enter Wimbledon a little flat after the euphoria. The US Open is certainly winnable for him but he doesn't have a fantastic record there compared to Australian Open. Sorry but Djokovic has twice won Wimbledon and is the best player on all surfaces. His win ratio since 2011 is incredible and he has won big tournaments on all surfaces. Over 5 sets he will beat Murray on clay and if he plays well will beat everyone on any surface. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parklife Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 I think that's a knee-jerk reaction actually as I think Novak plays Rafa in the QF's if both get there. Yeah, Rafa vs Djok in 1/4's if they make it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairbairn Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 I think the draw order on the French Open website must be wrong as looking at that I'd have Djokovic playing Dimitrov in the Quarters and Murray playing Nadal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairbairn Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 Murray's possible route to the final: R1 - Qualifier R2 - Pospisil (51) R3 - Kyrgios (29) R4 - Isner (16) QF - Ferrer (6) SF - Djokovic/Nadal F - Federer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
min Posted May 22, 2015 Author Share Posted May 22, 2015 Many people are tipping Djokovic for not only the career Grand Slam but the Calendar Year Grand Slam this year but I am not so sure. I make him a very warm to hot favourite for the French Open but I can't see him winning Wimbledon. He is not the best grass court player in the world and may not even make it into the top five in my opinion so that is where I see him missing out. Even more so if he wins in RG then the euphoria will be big for him as he has strived so long for it so perhaps he'd enter Wimbledon a little flat after the euphoria. The US Open is certainly winnable for him but he doesn't have a fantastic record there compared to Australian Open. I agree that the odds are against Djokovic winning the calendar slam as it's an near impossible feat - almost half a century since it was last achieved is a clue as to how difficult it is. However, I'd like to know who you would put ahead of him on grass courts? He's a double Wimbledon champion, the reigning champion, been in three of the last four Wimbledon finals and he's a better player this season than in previous years. Murray would certainly be closest to Djokovic on grass (although Federer can't yet be ruled out), but Novak looks supreme in every match he plays just now. If the calendar slam is possible, this year is definitely the best opportunity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
min Posted May 22, 2015 Author Share Posted May 22, 2015 Murray's possible route to the final: R1 - Qualifier R2 - Pospisil (51) R3 - Kyrgios (29) R4 - Isner (16) QF - Ferrer (6) SF - Djokovic/Nadal F - Federer Can't complain at all with the early rounds and if the SF and F were swapped around, it would be a perfect draw. Hopefully a marathon QF between Nadal and Djokovic - assuming they all get that far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caledonian Craig Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 (edited) I agree that the odds are against Djokovic winning the calendar slam as it's an near impossible feat - almost half a century since it was last achieved is a clue as to how difficult it is. However, I'd like to know who you would put ahead of him on grass courts? He's a double Wimbledon champion, the reigning champion, been in three of the last four Wimbledon finals and he's a better player this season than in previous years. Murray would certainly be closest to Djokovic on grass (although Federer can't yet be ruled out), but Novak looks supreme in every match he plays just now. If the calendar slam is possible, this year is definitely the best opportunity. On grass I'd certainly put Federer AND Murray ahead of him for starters. As for who else well perhaps even Dimitrov and a fully fit and in form Rafa as well. Yes he has won Wimbledon twice but I would certainly say it is the surface he looks least comfortable on regardless of two Wimbledon titles. Edited May 22, 2015 by Caledonian Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biffer Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 Murray's possible route to the final: R1 - Qualifier R2 - Pospisil (51) R3 - Kyrgios (29) R4 - Isner (16) QF - Ferrer (6) SF - Djokovic/Nadal F - Federer Tough in the third round, Kyrgios is up and coming and likely to be top ten by the end of this year. Isner will no t get to the fourth round, had s game s awful on clay. I reckon Ferrer is on the down slope of his career and is unfortunate to have played in this era - he would likely have wn grand slams if he hadn't come up against three of the greatest of all time. So as long as he can get past Kyrgios I think he has a good, although not easy, path to the semifinal. Who knows, if Nasal puts everything into it and beats Djokovic, Murray may well have a shot - and this is Djokovic's worst surface, so he'd have a shot at him as well. Federer must have shot his load when he saw the draw, Djokovic, Murray and Nasal all out of his way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
min Posted May 25, 2015 Author Share Posted May 25, 2015 All on schedule in Paris, so Murray should be on court between 4.30pm & 5.00pm. ITV4 showing the match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caledonian Craig Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 As expected it was a comfortable win for Murray winning 6-3 6-3 6-1 against Arguello. A bit too many unforced errors to be deemed impressive or even good so I would describe it as workman-like. Cracking win for Kyle Edmund as well and will now break into the top 100 and at 20 he has time to improve to be perhaps a top 50 player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairbairn Posted May 27, 2015 Share Posted May 27, 2015 As expected it was a comfortable win for Murray winning 6-3 6-3 6-1 against Arguello. A bit too many unforced errors to be deemed impressive or even good so I would describe it as workman-like. Cracking win for Kyle Edmund as well and will now break into the top 100 and at 20 he has time to improve to be perhaps a top 50 player. He's (Edmund) playing Kyrgios in the next round so could actually face Murray in R3 if he manages to get the better of the Aussie! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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