Tennis Discussion Thread

Murray's heading for defeat... he's down 2-1 sets

Murray uping his game and Raonic injury has totally turned the game around

Current winning 4-1 in the last set

Murray turned it around to win in 5 sets.

Gordon Reid has also made the final of the Wheelchair Men's Doubles!

Murray will play his fifth Australian Open final after an excellent comeback win against Raonic.
In so doing he will be seeking his first title at Melbourne Park having suffered painful defeats in all four previous encounters.
And it's Djokovic who stands in the way yet again.
In previous finals in this championship Murray has not capitalised on his opportunities. Against the Serb he cannot spurn any opportunities that come his way.
In the clutch moments Murray has to deliver big time.
I believe he has the game to do it and the physical stamina to live with Djokovic. But for me this match will be won and lost in the mind. If the Scot maintains composure and clarity of thought, makes the right decisions and shows no sign of weakness he can win. It will be difficult of course but it is feasible. The problem in recent Australian Open finals imo is that Murray has lost it mentally.
There is no room for any distraction on Sunday.
He must be absolutely zoned in for every single point.
If he manages that I believe victory is not merely possible but likely. But this is a mighty big 'IF'.
I wish him well.

^^ snookered I agree that Murray has let the crucial opportunities slip in previous meetings with Djokovic, especially in grand slam semi finals and finals, but I don't think the match will be won or lost in the mind alone.

A really telling encounter for me was the semi final at the French Open last year. Djokovic was physically fresher to win the first two sets comfortably in that match - 6-3, 6-3. Then Murray fought back admirably in what were two brutal 3rd and 4th sets, 7-5, 7-5. The effort it needed just to get back level with Djokovic was telling - the final set was a whitewash 6-1 in Djokovic's favour. So that tells us that Murray has to win the first, maybe even the second, to beat him. Because even if he does lose the first two, and then gets it back to 2 all, he's going to be spent physically and mentally in the fifth. Ironically, the length of that match also meant that Djokovic was knackered for the final and Wawrinka blew him away in four.

Ok the French Open is arguably more gruelling than any other slam because of the grinding nature of clay. So another example of Djokovic having superior physical stamina was the Australian Open final last year on a faster, but demanding surface for other reasons, a hard court. Djokovic again won the first set, and Murray had to fight so much just to get the second set to a tiebreak. He levelled the match but wore himself out in the process, allowing Djokovic to sweep him aside 6-3, 6-0 in the next two. There was a similar story at the US Open quarter final in the summer.

Sometimes it's mental strength to take the opportunities at the crucial time, such as making sure you get the breaks to take the lead early, but it's also about having an extra level that Djokovic seems to find to sweep through to the win after the early dogfight. In that area, the Serb is way ahead of Murray, as he is with most players. Only Murray and Wawrinka can live with him for a lot of the match, but when it comes to the end, the smart money is always on Djokovic, who just seems to have much more left.

I hope Murray can win but its a tall order. Since defeating Djokovic in the 2013 Wimbledon final in straight sets, Murray has lost 10 out of 11 meetings, including in three grand slams. Murray has also never beaten Djokovic at the Australian Open. Another factor is the previous round where Djokovic dismantled Federer in four while Murray was made to toil and labour in five against Raonic. Speaking of labour - there's a good chance his wife may go in to it over the weekend. That's got to be another thing on his mind that he will have to deal with. It goes without saying that the odds are astronomically in Djokovic's favour - but that's what makes this rivalry so intriguing.

^ That final last year that you raise is an interesting point and I hear what you say absolutely.

There were key moments in that opening set tiebreak that Murray worked so hard to force from 4 games to 1 down.
A double fault at 4-2 and a bad volley miss at the business end of the breaker cost Murray that first set.
In a match like that the odd point here or there makes all the difference. Murray failed to take his chance to inflict a big psychological blow by coming back to win a set he had no right to win.
In the second set he got distracted by injury worries for Djokovic and let it bother him for the whole of the rest of the match, Murray himself conceded he got distracted.
At the highest level you cannot afford to lose focus.
He got an early lead in set two only to fritter it away before battling through a breaker to level the match.
But throughout that set and especially set 3 Murray was rattled by Djokovic and let it get to him wasting a lot of emotional energy in the process.
He got an early break in that 3rd set only to concede it back carelessly. For me he lost his way from that point on not because he was not physically capable but because he had wasted too much time and energy reflecting on what was going on with his opponent which in turn created some poor unforced errors.
That match last year sums up Murray too much of the time imo. He gets too ratty with himself and those in his camp in the stands.
I reflect on his Wimbledon triumph in 2013.
Throughout that tournament there were virtually no histrionics.
He was calm, calculated and seemed completely at peace with himself. The final against Djokovic summed it up.
No panic or wasted energy at any time in one of the most gruelling straight set wins ever.
This has to be his greatest triumph but also the one he should reflect on the most imo.
Murray is at his best and most dangerous when he is at his most concentrated and zoned in.
He must convert clutch situations in the match and not waste any emotional energy. No weakness.
If Djokovic senses weakness he will exploit it.
For me if Murray stays strong mentally he will automatically stay stronger physically.
The mind and body can work effectively as one.
Where the body is saying one thing and the mind something else is where so many of the problems emerge from.
Murray needs to find that Wimbledon 2013 vibe once again.
If and it's a big if he finds it on Sunday I believe he can win.

Djokovic will go in as bookies favourite and justifiably so given his recent Grand Slam record.
Do I expect Murray to cause an upset?
No but at the same time I would not rule it completely out .

Absolutely there has to be a balance between physical fitness and top notch mental and emotional concentration.

I just think that Djokovic has had this balance for so long in Grand Slams that it's almost got to the point where he doesn't know how to lose. His opponents have mostly conceded that Novak on his best form is unplayable - even Federer, probably the greatest player ever in the history of the game, has said this. In fact Murray himself has said this, and it's ominous that Djokovic stated in his interview after the demolition of Federer that he feels he is in the peak of his career. I believe it would need something catastrophic to happen to Novak for Andy to get past him over a five set match these days.

Look, I still expect it to be a gruelling four or five setter, as it so often is between these two at slams. It is arguably the hottest rivalry in all of sport, let alone tennis, at the present time. They've played each other so many times that they know each other's games inside out. Their matches are almost always described as outstanding. It's just that Djokovic can do everything Murray can, but better. Over the last three years in all their matches since Wimbledon 2013, Murray has fought and fought until he has nothing left, they both have, but even when Djokovic seemingly has nothing left, he is able to find an extra gear, and Murray gets left behind at the end. That is the difference.

It would be nice for Murray to win, of course it would. From a British point of view and from a competitive point of view at the top of the game it's good to see other players winning majors. The cold, harsh reality however is that as long as Djokovic is around and on top of his game, all the rest will be second best. I know that sucks, from a GB and neutral perspective, but we've seen it, it is fact.

I think Djokovic will not only win yet again in Melbourne on Sunday, he will also finally claim victory at Roland Garros in Paris that has for so long eluded him. I believe after that French Open title we may see a drop in Djokovic's level, but not before.

I would like to see Djokovic win the French Open to be honest.
The quality of his tennis and the balance of physical fitness and mental strength will hopefully carry him over the line.
It would somehow not feel quite right if he ends up never winning at Roland Garros.
I too believe he will achieve it in 2016 and good luck to him.
He is a nice guy, a family man and a hell of a tennis player.

i think Fed is the greatest Tennis player of all time but if Djokovic carries on playing like this he could become the greatest of all time, he could stay at the top for another 3-4 years

Even if he surpasses Roger in the future, he will never have the awe and love and shots that Federer has.