Murray Repeats in Canada
by Rick Limpert on Aug 15, 2010 7:38 PM EDT
in Results
Email
Print
When a player starts each season they keep a grocery list of goals they want and need to accomplish in that 12-month period to have a successful year. Andy Murray was able to put a checkmark by a bunch of the items on his list this week with his 7-5, 7-5 victory over Roger Federer at the Rogers Cup in Toronto.
Win a ATP Tour event - Check
Win a Masters 1000 event - Check
Defend a title won in 2009 - Check
Defeat Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in the same event - Check
Qualify for the year-end Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. - Check
Win a match when conditions aren't perfect - Check
Win a Grand Slam event - To be determined
It was not a perfect performance but it was good enough and a confidence boost for the Scot heading into the final Grand Slam event of the year. Murray jumped out quickly to a 3-0 lead before Federer found his game. Murray then had an opportunity to serve for the first at 5-4, but his serve let him down. He bounced back with a break and took the opening set 7-5 on the strength of his ground-strokes.
Rain hampered the second set, but Murray did not let the delays distract him and earned another break at 5-5. He held on in the final game ofthe match, saving a break point to earn the victory and a repeat of the title he won last year in Montreal.
Murray earned $443,500 for the victory, but more important to Andy will be the momentum and confidence he will now take to Cincinnati and then New York.
2 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
If Paul Annacone is going to earn his money (or whatever the arrangement is), he needs to convince Federer that his “old” way of winning matches isn’t working. Guys these days are not afraid to try and blase Federer off the court, and these are much bigger hitters than 5 years ago. So Federer cannot just chip every ball into play and hope to get control of a rally after a few strokes. Earlier in the week, Federer was being much more aggressive off the return, and especially on 2nd serves. But yesterday, against Murray, he reverted back to his old ways – slicing the 2nd serve meekly into the center of the court – but this time Murray was taking those and gaining control of the point. This is a constant pattern for Federer in his losses over the last few years.
Federer might be the most naturally talented player to ever pick up a tennis racquet – but he has to show that he’s also one of the smarter ones if he really wants to win more slams.
Glen Sather is a Hockey Genius.
http://twitter.com/ThGeneralissimo
http://twitter.com/poplosertwit
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
