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1/20/12 8:49 PM | Johan Lindahl
While volatile Latin Marcos Baghdatis gains notoriety for his light-hearted racquet smash at the Australian Open, Scot Andy Murray has suddenly become the picture of decorum on court.
Observers put it down to the Ivan Lendl Factor as the fourth seed's new coach instills some discipline in the ranks. With a previous reputation for screaming obscenities at his player box and occasionally bloodying his knuckles with his racquet strings in moments of frustration, Murray has now gone Zen on court.
He even ventured a thought about how the bad boys of previous generations might have fared within the discipline-bound strictures of the current game. "If they had the rules that they have in place now, it would be interesting to see what would happen to some of the older players with the things that they did.
"I'd like to see the fines they would be racking up and they'd be getting defaults left, right, and center.
"But I would like to see someone try the things that McEnroe would have now to see what would happen to them. I saw some clips of him yesterday; I think he was playing Anders Jarryd in Sweden, and he's smashing bottles like into the stand and stuff."
Murray also remembered his own recent days as a foul-mouthed tearaway in the heat of a match. "Before, the guys were way worse behaved and said way, way worse things to the umpires. Yet if I swear on the court, I get asked about a hundred questions about it.
"Years ago players were swearing at umpires, swearing at ball kids, people in the stands and stuff. I've taken my fair share of stick for saying stuff on the court that was very, very mild compared with what the guys used to before. I'm happy with the way it is just now."
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McEnroe did not only throw water at the crowd he threw it at the King of Sweden, he mentions it in his book. So Andy, if you want to see what would happen to players now if they behaved like the 80s guys, why don't you try playing some of their antics?
nadline , 1/21/12 4:20 PM