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  • Preview: Andy Murray (4) vs Nicolas Mahut

    2/15/08 12:05 PM | David Cox
    - Murray and Mahut have played just once before, the world no 11 cruising to a 6-1, 6-3 win in Indian Wells last year.

    Today’s match is unlikely to be quite so straightforward, on the faster, lower bouncing Marseille carpet which rewards attacking, net-rushing play. Mahut stunned world no 15 Juan Carlos Ferrero 5-7, 6-4, 7-6(1) on Wednesday night, blasting down 18 aces. Murray is one of the best returners in the game and loves the target of an onrushing player but he’ll need to raise his level, coming a couple of points from an early exit yesterday before finding some rhythm to take out Stanislas Wawrinka 3-6, 7-5, 6-1. In particular the Scot’s serving will have to improve, Mahut is sure to be regularly chip-charging and asking questions of the Murray passing shots.

    This is Murray’s first year playing these events on the ATP indoor circuit. Normally he heads early to the States where he’s a two time San Jose champion and finds the medium paced outdoor hard suits to his style. In the past Mahut has usually been mixing it in the challengers but as a top 50 player now (he’s ranked 33 places lower than Murray at 44) he gets to mix it with the elite. He’ll be hoping to really make hay this month before the slower hard court and clay tournaments begin.

    Murray started the year in stunning form, winning Doha and heading the ATP Race after one week. He can consider himself extremely unlucky to draw the unstoppable force that was Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, as early as rd1 in Melbourne. The Frenchman hasn’t had a great start to the year, losing early in Chennai and Sydney (albeit to Cilic and Hewitt) and crashing out of the Australian Open in rd2 to Davydenko. He was forced to step down to challengers for some match practise, having a confidence-boosting run to the semis in Bergamo last week before losing 7-5 in the 3rd to world no 53 Julien Benneteau

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