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  • Wimbledon: Andy Murray vs. Richard Gasquet

    6/30/08 3:54 AM | Cheryl Murray
    - Brit favorite Andy Murray will attempt to get revenge on the man who knocked him out of the Masters Cup last year, Frenchman Richard Gasquet.

    Andy Murray has historically had difficulty handling Richard Gasquet's game. They have met on two occasions; Murray took just one set. Murray plays some of his best tennis on the lawns, which is good news for the Scot. The bad news is that Gasquet plays his best on grass as well.

    The Frenchman has perhaps the best backhand in the game right now and it has been downright lethal at the All-England Club. Murray can handle the pace of Gasquet's shots. He's quick and he knows how to use an opponent's pace against them, but Gasquet hits his backhand with the kind of precision that Roger Federer hits his forehand and that could spell disaster for Murray.

    One of the problems with the Scot's game is his first serve percentage. He routinely serves in the 50% range. To have a chance against the Frenchman on Monday, Murray will likely have to do better than that. Giving Gasquet too many looks on his serve will put the final nails in the coffin of his Wimbledon hopes. For Gasquet to win the match, he will need to get past his sometimes mental fragility. He will be playing against an able opponent who will have the overwhelming crowd support.

    Gasquet has looked the slightly stronger of the two in the first week of play, and has the edge historically. The Frenchman in four.


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