Ashley Fisher: We Will Never Know How Good Any Murray Is

[nehmeth]

^^ Get a big dog and name it Rafa - that'll cure yer cat!

:lolz: too good.


(and Front, no comments about where the dog licks and scratches)

 

[Front242]

Iona is the one major part I really, really like about Andy. When he wins, the thought of her being pleased makes me smile.

The other thing I like is when he does play aggressive tennis - he can run an opponent around the court like few I've seen, and pull the trigger at will. It's beautiful when he chooses to do it.

I know it's off topic, but I thought it good to say something nice about the guy.

For sure, I like his game a lot more these days when he plays aggressive tennis. Even before his surgery though, the often slow/passive and frequently dropped opening sets made many matches of his a chore to watch. I can't remember the number of times in both slams and other events that he's lost the opening set and gone on to win the match. If he could be more aggressive from the outset it'd work better for him.

 

[Luxilon Borg]

Well, I will suggest another variable. PTSD. The kid survived the massacre in his school when he was a kid. And I still think that affects him in pressure situations. I try to remember that when I have to endure watching him with his antics on court. It keeps me from throwing things at my TV.

Very interesting and brilliant angle. I suspect there may be something there.

One could make a similar argument for Nole, but I don't think he had any such close encounters with death. And clearly both Rafa and Fed lived rather sheltered lives in comparison.

 

[Luxilon Borg]

Iona is the one major part I really, really like about Andy. When he wins, the thought of her being pleased makes me smile.

The other thing I like is when he does play aggressive tennis - he can run an opponent around the court like few I've seen, and pull the trigger at will. It's beautiful when he chooses to do it.

I know it's off topic, but I thought it good to say something nice about the guy.

For sure, I like his game a lot more these days when he plays aggressive tennis. Even before his surgery though, the often slow/passive and frequently dropped opening sets made many matches of his a chore to watch. I can't remember the number of times in both slams and other events that he's lost the opening set and gone on to win the match. If he could be more aggressive from the outset it'd work better for him.

Yes, I agree, many of this matches were a chore to watch, regardless of winning or losing the first set.

He would basically do nothing, and the other player would spray the ball all over the place, next thing you know, a yawn, and handshake. Look, even in the UK they often were either indifferent or downright negative about him..until he got to the Wimby final.

 

[nehmeth]

One could make a similar argument for Nole, but I don't think he had any such close encounters with death. And clearly both Rafa and Fed lived rather sheltered lives in comparison.

Probably not... just spending the evenings as a little kid in bomb shelters while planes shelled the city, practicing tennis in an empty swimming pool because of the bombs.... nah. :nono

And I don't know how "sheltered" Rafa was growing up with Uncle Toni... did you read his book?

 

[Luxilon Borg]

One could make a similar argument for Nole, but I don't think he had any such close encounters with death. And clearly both Rafa and Fed lived rather sheltered lives in comparison.

Probably not... just spending the evenings in bomb shelters while planes shelled the city, practicing tennis in an empty swimming pool because of the bombs.... nah. :nono

And I don't know how "sheltered" Rafa was growing up with Uncle Toni... did you read his book?

True, about Nole, I was throwing him a bone...lol.

Yes, I did read it. I loved it. I hardly think that was a tough up bringing compared to the Williams sisters or Agassi, who is miserable to this day..he said so last night. LOL.

 

[Front242]

Iona is the one major part I really, really like about Andy. When he wins, the thought of her being pleased makes me smile.

The other thing I like is when he does play aggressive tennis - he can run an opponent around the court like few I've seen, and pull the trigger at will. It's beautiful when he chooses to do it.

I know it's off topic, but I thought it good to say something nice about the guy.

For sure, I like his game a lot more these days when he plays aggressive tennis. Even before his surgery though, the often slow/passive and frequently dropped opening sets made many matches of his a chore to watch. I can't remember the number of times in both slams and other events that he's lost the opening set and gone on to win the match. If he could be more aggressive from the outset it'd work better for him.

Yes, I agree, many of this matches were a chore to watch, regardless of winning or losing the first set.

He would basically do nothing, and the other player would spray the ball all over the place, next thing you know, a yawn, and handshake. Look, even in the UK they often were either indifferent or downright negative about him..until he got to the Wimby final.

One of the worst examples was his 2012 US Open match against Cilic. Lost the first set 6-3 and down 5-1 in set 2 and he suddenly wakes up. That was a monumental collapse by Cilic more than anything else the way he lost that match though, but equally so it took being on the verge of a 2 set deficit before Murray actually started to play aggressively.

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

the tennis channel ?.. I heard they had some adverts during a tiebreak or something (??)..and we won't mention the 100 top players of all time list will we.. :lolz:

oh yes..imagine if andy murray was a self contained being, maybe he would have won Wimbledon or the u s open, maybe even the odd masters title or Olympic medal ?. :laydownlaughing

alas we will never know *sigh*. mr fisher is right, all the players who have ever won stuff go around the court with an unreadable unflappable borg like game face. :idea:

 

[Luxilon Borg]

One could make a similar argument for Nole, but I don't think he had any such close encounters with death. And clearly both Rafa and Fed lived rather sheltered lives in comparison.

Probably not... just spending the evenings as a little kid in bomb shelters while planes shelled the city, practicing tennis in an empty swimming pool because of the bombs.... nah. :nono

And I don't know how "sheltered" Rafa was growing up with Uncle Toni... did you read his book?

I actually..I think you may need to rexamine Nole's upbringing..I went back to his book, Serve To Win, and on page 5 of chapter 1, he talks about being with in around 500 feet of a missile strike. He says to this day loud sounds fill him with terror. Check it out.

 

[nehmeth]

One could make a similar argument for Nole, but I don't think he had any such close encounters with death. And clearly both Rafa and Fed lived rather sheltered lives in comparison.

Probably not... just spending the evenings as a little kid in bomb shelters while planes shelled the city, practicing tennis in an empty swimming pool because of the bombs.... nah. :nono

And I don't know how "sheltered" Rafa was growing up with Uncle Toni... did you read his book?

I actually..I think you may need to rexamine Nole's upbringing..I went back to his book, Serve To Win, and on page 5 of chapter 1, he talks about being with in around 500 feet of a missile strike. He says to this day loud sounds fill him with terror. Check it out.

Sorry if my sarcasm (see above) was too subtle... my mention of the bombings was to say he did have some pretty traumatic times as a child.

 

[TsarMatt]

I think we'll never know how good any tennis player is. Everyone faces variables and flaws and problems. I do agree with him to some extent, but as another poster solidified, he can still win the big titles now even if he is swearing and whining on the court.

 

[Luxilon Borg]

I think we'll never know how good any tennis player is. Everyone faces variables and flaws and problems. I do agree with him to some extent, but as another poster solidified, he can still win the big titles now even if he is swearing and whining on the court.

Well you cold argue that we DO know how good certain players are. I mean, it is REAL hard to argue that Federer and Nadal did not reach and maximize their potential. Especially Nadal, who many so called experts thought would NEVER win Wimby or even the US Open and now he has two of each. It is real hard to claim that Nadal did not reach his potential after 8 French Opens..couple that with the fact that NOBODY has ever won 8 of anything before!

 

[Rose]

Murray is an interesting topic for me just for the simple reason I can't figure him out! Some times he looks like a world beater and other times he looks like he has been beaten by the world.
He has mentioned he is shy and I don't think being shy would be an asset for a Pro Tennis Player.
Having all those people looking at you out on court it is not a typical 9-5 job. But still he must have known that going into his career?

This year I think it is too early to judge much about him at all due to the surgery and all the downtime.

 

[Front242]

Well he says his back felt fine after 3 consecutive 3 setters last week which is good. Seems he just needs to play more matches to build form and confidence and he's no different than anyone else in that respect. Djokovic has been struggling with his game somewhat, Ferrer is injured and will have to regain form, Del Potro has constant wrist issues, so Murray isn't any worse off than any of them really. The surgery has fixed his pain it seems and he just needs to play and win more matches and it'll all soon fall into place for him. Should start hitting his stride soon and definitely by the time grass season starts.

 

[Kieran]

The television broadcaster Gabby Logan gave a description of Andy which Luxilon will agree with...

 

[Luxilon Borg]

The television broadcaster Gabby Logan gave a description of Andy which Luxilon will agree with...

LOL..well the the funny thing I have think he is quite polite and well behaved off the court. So she caught him in a crabby mood once...heee heee...I don't think being a "moody bastard" off the court affects your tennis...uzzled

 

[Luxilon Borg]

Well he says his back felt fine after 3 consecutive 3 setters last week which is good. Seems he just needs to play more matches to build form and confidence and he's no different than anyone else in that respect. Djokovic has been struggling with his game somewhat, Ferrer is injured and will have to regain form, Del Potro has constant wrist issues, so Murray isn't any worse off than any of them really. The surgery has fixed his pain it seems and he just needs to play and win more matches and it'll all soon fall into place for him. Should start hitting his stride soon and definitely by the time grass season starts.

I would have to agree with your assessment.

 

[tented]

Tennis Channel's Ashley Fisher made a statement the other night saying "We will never really know how good Andy Murray really is" due to his ATTITUDE.

He noted the other members of the "Big Four" have steely, ultra confident demeanor and just get on with it regardless of what gets thrown their way. Rarely do you see negative body language, foul language, or anything but resolve. Except on the rarest of occasions.

It's a silly statement, really. Andy Murray is Andy Murray. We know how good he is. In fact, we know how good Andy Murray really is. So good he's won two Majors, been in seven Major finals, won nine Masters, an Olympic gold medal, and so on. And if we took away his "attitude" he may not have won any of them.

 

[Luxilon Borg]

Tennis Channel's Ashley Fisher made a statement the other night saying "We will never really know how good Andy Murray really is" due to his ATTITUDE.

He noted the other members of the "Big Four" have steely, ultra confident demeanor and just get on with it regardless of what gets thrown their way. Rarely do you see negative body language, foul language, or anything but resolve. Except on the rarest of occasions.

It's a silly statement, really. Andy Murray is Andy Murray. We know how good he is. In fact, we know how good Andy Murray really is. So good he's won two Majors, been in seven Major finals, won nine Masters, an Olympic gold medal, and so on. And if we took away his "attitude" he may not have won any of them.

....how about if he had a DIFFERENT attitude he would have won more..say FIVE or SIX majors?

 

[Front242]

Doubt that somehow. He was outplayed in the finals he lost (obviously or he would have won) and he hasn't been in any more slam finals since the two he won. So I dunno how he could possibly have 5 or 6 slams.