Article

  • Sparkling Murray claims 5th title

    2/18/08 2:19 PM | David Cox
    - Andy Murray capped a superb week's tennis with a 6-3, 6-4 defeat of Mario Ancic in yesterday's Marseille final.

    It was a high quality match from both players but in the end the quality of Murray's returning and his play on the big points proved too much for the battling Croat. Before yesterday, Ancic had yet to drop serve in the tournament but when on song Murray is capable of reading and dismantling anyone's delivery and Ancic was under pressure right from game 1 where he had to save 4 break points

    The Croat had a golden chance to take control of the set at 3-3 but netted a straightforward backhand volley on break point. Murray gratefully accepted the lifeline and found some big serves to hold. With Ancic's mind possibly still on that volley, Murray stepped up and broke for 5-3 with a couple of moments of brilliance, passing the Croat with an inch-perfect return and then ripping a forehand down the line on the run. The next game (with Murray looking to close out the set) was a mini-classic, lasting 22 points, almost longer than the rest of the set put together. Ancic threw everything at Murray, blasting a couple of big winners and scooping several half-volleys off his toes but the Scotsman held firm, saving 4 break points and missing 4 set points of his own before finally clinching it with an ace

    Ancic looked like he was starting to flag at this point, the exertion of going toe to toe with Murray from the baseline, taking its toll. However, Murray lost his concentration, gifting Ancic the break with some sloppy tennis and found himself 3-1 down. Ancic responded with some erratic play of his own and Murray broke back with a forehand winner. The next break to go 4-3 up proved decisive and Murray served out to love for a deserved victory

    “It was a very high standard match,” a delighted Murray said. “I hit some really important shots on the big points, especially at the end of that first set. It was a really long game and I think I had five or six game points and he had four or five break points. I think even though he broke me early in the second, that game was really important mentally because if he’d got back into it, maybe won the set, it would have been tough for me, but I stuck with it. I served really well on the big points and did a really good job of serving it out at the end.”

    Murray's new service action has been a revelation this week, earning him 44 aces and Ancic noted this was a key factor in the final. ”I think he has improved his serve a lot,“ said the Croatian. ”I knew I was going to have to run a lot and I think he showed he is one of the best players in the world. If he had not have been injured last year I think he would already have been top five.“

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Comments

Murray with a better serve will be a fearsome thing to behold. I can't WAIT. :)

cherylmurray , 2/18/08 5:07 PM


Wow, yeah if he can get a consistently great serve going, he will be amazing. He is already virtually unbeatable against big servers / net-rushers due to his world-class return; adding a great serve would require an almost-flawless match (or just someone like Fed, Nad, or Djoke) to beat him.

All that said, I'm not exactly looking forward to it as much as Cheryl!

RickyDimon , 2/18/08 5:41 PM


LOL @ Ricky. What's not to like? The guy is grumpy, mercurial and bad-tempered. He's also funny as all get out and he can pass Andy "I'll come in on anything" Roddick all day long.

cherylmurray , 2/18/08 5:55 PM


@ Cheryl - I like Murray OK; he's been entertaining the times I've seen him at the U.S. Open. I'm just not JUMPING FOR JOY about the prospect of him becoming one of the ELITE players in the world. I would simply prefer guys like Nadal and Djoker to stay ahead of him. But I don't mind him, and I respect his bad temper!

RickyDimon , 2/18/08 8:09 PM



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