US Open tennis

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

US Open tennis

I think the point being made was Djokovic felt himself part of that "club" for making the final last year, which in a great part led to him winning the Australian Open this year.

And who knows, even if Murray loses tonight, if the next time he's up in a Grand Slam final against an unseeded opponent, he might win it. The extreme irony, of course, is that Djokovic's opponent in that final was Tsonga, who had beaten Murray in round one. If that game had gone the other way, maybe we'd have been talking about Murray an awful lot sooner than we are doing.

[rick derris]

US Open tennis

http://www.justin.tv/widgets/jtv_live.r9389.swf?channel=burgers4everyone

[Guest]

US Open tennis

That's excellent quality, it's about 10 seconds behind Sky Sports I reckon.

Murray 1 set down and serving to stay in the 2nd at 4-5 down.

[Gerontophile]

US Open tennis

Bugger.

[Commodore]

US Open tennis

I'm always baffled by tennis pundits predicting results, and confidently saying things like "it'll be a win, but not in straight sets" or "he might win a set, but not the match".

To the uninitiated (me), it seems like tennis at the highest level is a series of crucial points, any of which can go either way.

I can only speak for myself having played the game (which I have knocked on the head due to a dodgy knee and a temper that would make Jeff Tarango blush) that there is a significance attached to psychology when it comes to Tennis. At such a high level, temperament is as vital as talent, especially on the crucial points which could make the difference between winning and losing a set.

In terms of play, there wasn’t an awful lot to choose between them. But on the knife edge points, Federer’s composure brought on by a combination of his undoubted talent and the experience of 19 Grand Slam finals stood him in good stead when it mattered. Having had three points to go a break up in the second set, Murray did nothing wrong whereas Federer simply found his form when it mattered most. Come the twelfth game, Federer found that extra bit of class to break and go two sets up.

Ten minutes later, Federer was two breaks up and cruising as Murray’s spirit was understandably crushed. Murray at least went down with a fight as he broke Federer back, but Federer just broke straight back to win the match. It was that easy.

Murray has shown that he’s got the game to compete with the Top 4, and with Djokovic in his sights he could finish the year as the World No 3. There’s no disgrace in losing to the arguably the best player ever, and he will have learned how fatal it is to lose one’s nerve at such a big stage. Djokovic took heart from his loss to Federer last year and went on to win the Australian Open four months later. If Murray can maintain the form he’s shown over the last fortnight, he gives himself every chance of repeating this feat.

[Eggchaser]

US Open tennis

He lost in the Final! He's a plucky Brit now! Hurrah!

Although lots of English people still hate him, apparently.

[Gerontophile]

US Open tennis

lots of Scots hate him too, the surly twat.

I, however, like him a lot, and couldnt watch this.

[ale]

US Open tennis

Federer has now competed in the last 18 consecutive Grand Slam semi-finals...which easily beats Ivan Lendls previous record of 10...

all of which proves nothing other than to win a Grand Slam Federer is still the person to beat ...

or that to win the French hes going to require someboby else to beat Nadal before the final...

[ale]

US Open tennis

''Indeed, it's perfectly possible for someone to win around 65% of all the points in a match and still lose (Becker and Ivanisevic, for example, used to power through service games to love, yet still lose sets on tie-breaks against opponents like Edberg or Sampras they couldn't quite win crucial break points against when they got them). ''

Edberg lost a final to Becker in the early 1990s without actually being broken on his serve in the entire match while he broke Beckers serve...

since then Ive always felt the rules shouldnt allow a match to be decided on three sets without a two game winning margin...

this isnt advocating a return to the days when all sets had to be decided in this way just a compromise where winning three sets by 7-6 isnt enough to be justified as a winner...after all there is some recognition that this is unfair by not allowing 7-6 to win a fifth and deciding set...

[ale]

US Open tennis

re. above...went to check the game involved and can find no evidence whatsoever of such an outcome!!!

[Etienne]

US Open tennis

ale, of course you can win on a 5th set tie-break in the US Open.

[Gerontophile]

US Open tennis

which of course is a shite rule. TV bollocks and all that... or perhaps the Gonzales - Pasarell thing.

Of course with the time Nadal takes between points, that match could have lasted 12 hours.

[bovril]

US Open tennis

does anyone on here know what the devil the ATP are up to with next years rankings points?

rumour has it that the Masters Series events (to be renamed the 1000 Series) will award 1000 points to the winner.

This means the same amount of points as winning a GS...

Surely not...