I also understand that Andy has been talking to Haye about match strategy. Apparently Haye texted Andy b4 the start of match with Stephanek. If he's getting psychological advice on how to win from a man he really likes/admires, all Andy's fans will be very happy. Certainly match interviews are showing a new confidence and I'm with chlorostoma on this one.
Andy has also revealed that he was really unhappy that Corretja didn't go to the AO with him and this all came to a head just b4 Indian Wells. No wonder Andy lost his form.

so fuzz muzz is getting tips from a boxer....i wonder what the boxer is going say about the gladiator he is going to face tomorrow

Sooo excited...

Fuzzy scottish samurai vs ruthless spanish gladiator...mouth watering

hey deuce - muzz is re-emerging:)

I know corretja wasn't on a full-time arrangement with muzz, but you've really got to ask where his heart was in the whole thing when his guy's in a SLAM FINAL and he can't pull out the stops to get there - not just for the lift it would have given muzz on the day, but - point in case - to be there for him after the blow of defeat, and provide constructive input to get him back on track.

The worst thing about the whole affair, which I expressed fear of even before the Oz final, was the total subsequent collapse, as per 2010, but apparently exacerbated this year by corretja's 'smart input' after the fact.

alex: hooray :) Conflict in the camp must be horrible :( Andy's had a bad year as far as that goes. We had the business with Miles and Corretja in the Summer and now this. Although I really disliked him, I completely agree with u re Corretja's non- appearance at the AO. What a disgrace. He should've been on the first plane out the moment Andy was in the second week. No wonder Andy is taking so much time to appoint a new coach.
Have u noticed how I am calmly ignoring all Ricky's swipes? Silence is the better part of valour ;)

hey deuce - I take it you're referring to ricky's reflective "Murray stinks" piece? lol. The day we get riled by ricky is the day we're taking life too seriously:)

I mean, how could you possibly ignore a man of such insightful predictions like (in the same piece just quoted):

Ricky's appetiser

"Melzer made a surprising run to the 2010 French Open semifinals, but he will be hard-pressed to reach the same stage in Monte-Carlo because he is in the same quarter as Federer."

Main course?

"David Ferrer caught fire during last year?s clay-court swing, but he could be challenged by plenty of talented opponents?including Ernests Gulbis (OUT R32), Milos Raonic, and/or fellow Spaniards Fernando Verdasco (OUT R32) and Tommy Robredo (OUT R16)." - BUT RAONIC DID REACH FERRER ... AND WON 4 GAMES!

Dessert?

"Murray is in brutal form and might not even be favored against Radek Stepanek."

And over coffee?

"Cold: Andy Murray ... Jurgen Meltzer ..."

Yep. Murray stinks. Ricky clever.

Sorry ricky, I'm just trying to make up for deuce ignoring you, and reassure you that we do take notice of what you say ;)

alex - unfortunately none of what you just pasted above was a prediction. All were FACTUAL STATEMENTS.

Go read my PREDICTIONS. I had Ferrer in the semifinals.

I said Ferrer "COULD" be challenged by Raonic. That is a statement of fact. He had a chance of being challenged. Did I think he WOULD be? Heck no. I'm surprised Raonic won as many games as he did!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Monday morning quarterbacking is so easy isn't it?

I didn't see alex or deuce predicting Murray reaching the semis before the tournament started. Murray opened himself up to the "Murray stinks" chants when he decided to lose to Donald Young and Alex Bogomolov Jr.

alex, no actually, I was referring to Ricky's scornful dismissal of Andy's chances against Simon. A prediction, I believe?
numero, "stinks" is not a word I would use about any player, but certainly "awful" "poor" "dreadful" etc would have fitted the bill.

hey ricky - glad to see you take the bait as well as you serve it :) Not predictions? Ah, right! Like the sub-heading under which it was all written - " ... Look at what's ahead ... approaching ... previews ..." - had nothing to do with the future! lol.

I still get amazed at you, ricky. How can someone so frequently and wildly off the mark never be wrong?

numero - You're quite right, I didn't actually expect muzz to beat stepanek. But that's not the point.

1) I don't possess the delusions of grandeur necessary to seek to ply a trade as an informed tennis analyst and, more imprtantly, 2) I wouldn't dismiss ANY player with the kind of offensive language used by ricky in this case - as deuce says, It's not what you say but the way that you say it.

Someone in ricky's privileged position should be demonstrating the voice of reason and balance, not lobbing missiles like an 'over-lubricated' heckler on the sidelines.

alex, ROFL