Eurosport - Tue, 20 Jan 09:30:00 2009
Eurosport tennis analysts Greg Rusedski and Virginia Wade discuss Andy Murray's chances in this year's Australian Open.
Virginia Wade: Andy Murray is playing the best of anyone in the world at the moment - but in a way you sense that Roger Federer is saving everything up to win this one. But who knows?
Greg Rusedski: I have to say that Andy's got a great chance to win, and I think he's ready to win a major championship now. Last year he wasn't. To me, he looks stronger, he looks fitter, he's hitting the ball better... and since he lost to Nadal at Wimbledon last year he's gotten more aggressive. A lot of people would say that, on paper, he's been the best player in the world since then.
VW: Murray plays this amazingly complete game which is always fascinating to watch, because he's always doing something a little different. But he himself has said 'the way I play when I'm playing well, I have to have so much concentration' - and to keep that up for five sets day after day after day... Sometimes you can win a game in straight sets and it drains you because your concentration is so good, while other times you might be on court for much longer but it won't be so bad because you're on automatic. I don't think Andy can play on automatic. I think he has to have everything functioning at full tilt - particularly his head.
GR: On that score Pat Cash recently said that he's had trouble bouncing back after five-set matches - beating Gasquet followed by losing to Nadal at Wimbledon; then beating Nadal before losing to Federer at the US Open, for example. But Murray could have turned the match against Federer at the US Open had he won that second set when he didn't use Hawkeye to his favour. He's spent a month in Miami training for this and the results are showing. He's physically ready - the question for me is if he's mentally ready. I think everything's in place right now - and I'm expecting a Federer-Murray final.
VW: This time last year we talked about Murray possibly winning, but it was never going to happen. But he's made giant strides since then, he's improved his strengths and taken away his weaknesses. He's coming into his own.
GR: Let's put things into perspective: you've got Roger Federer with 13 Slams, Novak Djokovic has one and Rafael Nadal has five, so to say he's the outright favourite might be stretching it. But can he win it? Yes he can. He's serving such a high percentage of first serves in, and people haven't been able to attack it. He's got a lot more variety in it as well which is putting guys like Nadal and Federer under pressure.
VW: And I tell you one thing: if it comes down to Murray against Federer, and Andy Murray can go on court thinking about having beaten Roger Federer twice in two weeks, he'll feel pretty good about playing him... but it's a long way between now and then - and a Grand Slam title.
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Comment 5 - 24 of 64
Whoever looses early in the tournament has no chance of winning.
Murray might be ugly but HE's @#$% loaded!hihihihihihi Jess X
shut up gobshites, murray will win it
Looking forward to Nalbandian's first GS title...
I THINK WHOEVER IS UNBEATON AT THE END OF THE TOURNAMENT WILL BE THE WINNER.
ALISON.
would love it give fed a chane for a major payback against murray the moron
GO FED_EX
bla bla bla... Too soon to talk. Who would have tipped Tsonga, Gonzalez or Baghda to reach the final? 2009 can produce some other surprises... again. That's why the AO is so interesting...
Ya THINK?
I think whoever wins all their matches and plays the best over the tournament will win it.
I actualy expect Federer vs Nadal
POST II
SUCH A WELL INFORMED COMMENT ALISON.
ALISON.
OMG... I just heard that some players are playing on some ta ll da ting site ___T allMingle Co M___ where are many hot models and handsome guys.
really?
Come on Rafa
What would Rusedski know. All he did was bash a ball over the net . If it came back he would @#$% himself
i hate murray. rodger is my man...
WELL GREG YOU COULD BE RIGHT HOPE ROGER IN THE FINAL ANYWAY.GOOD LUCK TO ALL THE PLAYERS.
ALISON.
Federer no longer is the best but he still manages to grab one GS here and there each year!Last year he wasn't that far from winning Wimbledon as well!From the last 4,he always is THE most difficult player to beat,because his magic comes back!
Ugly or not, Murray plays better every day. I wouldn't mind watching a final between Nadal and Djokovic (Nadal and Murray could meet in one semifinal and Federer and Djokovic in the other one).
mauricechela, you calling this the best tennis era?? You mean Federer, Nadal, Murray, Djooker? You must not know very much about tennis then....this is infact one of the worst eras....while Federer is one of the greatest players ever if not the greatest, and Rafa is probably the best claycourter ever the others are very ordinary. Djokovic is nothing worthy of mention, he will be forgotten in less than 10 years, Murray just because he's British will be hyped up a little more, maybe win 2 grandslams thats about it......there are some other decent French upcoming players but this is nowhere near the days of Sampras, Becker, Agassi, Lendl, Edberg or even before that with Borg, Connors,, McEnroe......In todays 'era' only Federer and Nadal are worthy of being remembered, as for the others only time will tell, and i very much doubt it will tell tales of greatness.
RUBBISH TO TIP MURRAY AND FEDERER FOR FINAL.BOTH WILL NOT GET TO THE FINAL.WHY PEOPLE STILL THINK FEDERER IS STILL THE SAME PLAYER AS 3 OR 4 YEARS AGO BAFFLES ME. ITS CLEAR THIS GUY NO MORE STRIKES FEAR IN ANY OPPONENT IN THE TENNIS COURT IN RECENT TIMES.ANY OF THE TOP TEN PLAYERS CAN EASILY BEAT HIM UNLESS HE CAN AVOID ANY OF THEM TO GET TO THE FINAL
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