Only Nadal better than fast rising Murray?
Posted: Tuesday, April 07, 2009 4:13 PM
No question that Rafael Nadal is the king of men’s tennis. He’s the holder of three of the four Grand Slam titles, and his Australian Open win reinforced that Roger Federer no longer resides in the top spot.
Now the surprise: Who's No. 2?
The fashionable answer has become Andy Murray. And there's merit in that argument although clay is a surface that still must be mastered by the Scotsman.
But four straight wins over Federer, three in a row over Novak Djokovic, and finals in both March Masters, winning the Miami title Sunday, cement Murray as World No. 2 on hard courts.
Murray’s rise has happened fast, beginning with a strong 2008 summer on the U.S. hard courts that finished with his first Grand Slam final at the U.S. Open. He finished the year with five titles, and made the semifinals at the year-end tournament in Shanghai.
Murray hasn't improved his 2008 year-end rank of No. 4, but give him time. With a huge cache of points earned in the first quarter of 2009, and few clay points to defend, it is only a matter of time before Murray passes Djokovic, if not Federer, as well.
How has it happened?
Murray has always had the tools: An innate court sense that has produced an advanced tennis IQ, excellent movement, soft hands, and a superb return of serve. Now, he has added three key elements to his game:
POWER: He had been a returner, a counterpuncher, who played great defense, but had no offense for important moments. Added stick on his first serve has made him capable of offense when needed.
FITNESS: Cramping plagued Murray in his early years. He has matured through intense workouts in Miami in the offseason. He is stronger, committed to a proper diet, and able to handle heat.
ATTITUDE: Simply, he lost his bad attitude. In the past, to watch Murray play made any parent want to reach out and set him straight. He was miserable, negative towards coaches, and utterly incapable of keeping from coming unglued in tough times. Those days are gone. Some credit must go to Miles MacLagan, Murray's most recent coach, described as a "listener," the perfect match for Murray.
Will he win a Grand Slam title? Smart minds I ask predict he’ll win multiple majors, maybe breaking the ice this year. Hard courts are definitely his strength, although he seems to have the tools to succeed on clay.
How he handles the intense scrutiny at Wimbledon will be a window into his immediate future. No American athlete can understand -- not even Tiger Woods -- the burden Murray will carry into the All England Club as a legitimate contender.
FIVE SERVES:
1. FEDERER'S PERFORMANCE IN MIAMI…was shocking. Andy Roddick should have taken him out in the quarterfinals. The third set was the first time I have ever seen Roddick take the court in a decisive set believing he should beat Federer.
Then stunned fans witnessed an unprecedented Federer meltdown against Djokovic in the semifinals. Over seven consecutive games, Federer couldn't get a forehand in the court. He had no confidence, muttered to himself, kicked at a stray ball, and finally, in a memorable moment, thoroughly smashed a racket into the court.
Afterwards, Federer said he "didn't lose it." That’s denial. His answers to the coaching question confirm to me my theory that he doesn't WANT a coach. Shockingly, Federer said, "Thank God, the hard court season is over." In treatment anyone?
2. RODDICK IS IMPROVED. Somehow coach Larry Stefanki has connected with Roddick in a way that Jimmy Connors, Brad Gilbert, and Roddick’s brother, John, could not. Now Roddick is lighter, moving with less effort, and playing with more aggression. He is still safe from the baseline, limiting errors and allowing opponents, especially the lesser ones, to beat themselves. Against Federer, though, he moved forward, and handled net play better than ever. If he can sustain this kind of performance, Roddick could be in play to win the men’s singles title at Wimbledon.
3. NADAL'S SCHEDULE IS INSANE. He only showed his high-octane play in flashes last week. Fatigue? A sensible guess. And now the tour shifts to clay, where Nadal is king thus there will be no letup in his playing schedule. Somewhere, sadly, he will pay a steep price for not pacing himself unless Team Rafa shows some restraint, and lightens his load.
4. THE WOMEN? Where to start? The WTA is truly the Williams Tennis Association. The sisters are keeping the game relevant, especially in the U.S. Without Venus and Serena, the women's tour would be at its nadir. There still aren't any American women on the verge of a breakthrough. No Sam Querrey, John Isner, Ryan Sweeting or even Donald Young. There is hope for Coco Vandeweghe, and perhaps Alexa Glatch and Melanie Oudin. But the WTA needs to do everything in its power to keep Venus and Serena playing through the upcoming transition years.
5. SHARAPOVA’S SHOULDER WOES: It’s seven months and counting that the Russian has been sidelined with a bum shoulder with the exception being only one cameo in a doubles match last month. After playing that match, Sharapova withdrew from Miami, saying she wasn’t yet ready to return.
Her presence is needed now more than ever. One champion told me in Miami that there should be reason for concern, that shoulder injuries are the hardest to return from (see Jennifer Capriati). Tennis needs medicine to be wrong on this one.
