Cheryl Murray

• Andy Murray outclasses Roger Federer during and after their match

  2008-03-05 10:06:00
  

  I had planned on doing this week's blog on Andy Murray anyway – even before his big win over Roger Federer in Dubai on Monday. Frankly, he fascinates me both on and off the court. He shuffles along with shoulders slumped, as though lifting his feet is simply too much effort. Watching him, one could almost be convinced that Eeyore himself decided to take up tennis. Yet, he can run down a drop shot like a gazelle and cover the court as well as anyone. Then as soon as the point is won, he's back to slumping and shuffling again.
  
  Sure, he's gotten some flack for his on-court grumpiness. And he has the occasional heated argument with the palm of his hand, wherein said appendage appears to have committed an unforgivable offense and needs a stern dressing down right in the middle of a match. Yes, he got into some trouble with the English for stating that his pick for the 2006 World Cup was "anyone but England". But really, it's just all part of the charm that is Andy Murray.
  
  His results leading up to Dubai have been...well...strange. He won Doha to start the year off, then lost in the first round at the Australian Open, won again in Marseille and lost in the first round of Rotterdam. I feel pretty safe in saying that nobody quite knew what to expect when Murray drew, of all people, Roger Federer in the first round. As evidenced in the match, he need not have worried.
  
  Murray played a brilliant tactical match against Federer particularly in the second and third sets, but perhaps most impressive of all was the fact that he kept his cool after losing the first set tie break on a couple of careless errors. For the rest of the match, he picked his spots beautifully. He was just patient enough to allow Federer to get himself into trouble, but not lackadaisical enough to permit the Swiss back into the match.
  
  The biggest surprise wasn't that Murray beat Federer. As I said in my blog last week, Federer has played one other tournament this year and has barely practiced – he was bound to be rusty and drawing Murray in the first round is brutal no matter who you are. The thing that had my mouth dropping open was what Federer said after the match. He alluded to his lack of match play, and gave the obligatory "he was too good today". And then proceeded to offer a critique on Murray's game. He accused the Scot of having a stagnant game "I don't think he's changed his game a whole lot since I played him in the Bangkok final. Not that I'm disappointed but I really would have thought he would have changed it in some ways." He also concluded that Murray is too defensive and suggested that early burnout is inevitable.
  
  Federer doesn't like to lose – I understand this and even respect it as the mark of a great winner. But Murray quite simply outclassed him in his own interview. When told what Federer said about him and his game, he calmly stated that his playing style remains what it is against Federer because he feels that is the best way to beat the world number one. He pointed out that he plays differently against Nadal because aggression is more effective in that case. Murray sounded intelligent and poised. And though I'm sure I'll get flamed for saying it, Federer sounded petty.

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