Posted: 22.03.09 14:52. Post subject: СМИ о скоттише

ПК, интервью, статьи, новости, высказывания

 Posted: 27.04.09 23:26. Post subject: Andy Murray keeps ey..

Andy Murray keeps eye on vital statistics

It was the perfect day for pen-sucking and dreaming of sunny portents because play at the Rome Masters was spoilt by winds that whipped clay into the eyes and nostrils, and one match on the Foro Italico's temporary main court was completed in a torrential downpour that formed small puddles into which balls plopped and stopped. Work on the new Centre Court appears no more advanced than a year ago. A roof? That was still up for discussion.

Andy Murray lost a first-round doubles match yesterday with Ross Hutchins, his Davis Cup colleague, which is probably just as well because his second-round singles today against Juan Mуnaco, of Argentina, will require every bit of the British No1's powers of concentration.

Murray is a bit of a statistical nerd - the ATP does not need a computer to work out the rankings, he could do it using mental arithmetic - and is more aware than anyone how close he is to becoming the highest-ranked player from Britain since the authorities decided to use scientific methods rather than rely on the opinions of a journalistic cabal. If Novak Djokovic fails to defend his title here, Murray will leapfrog him to No3 and should Roger Federer's socks remain around his ankles for much longer, the Scot could be at No2 by the time Wimbledon swings into view.

Lest we be accused of getting ahead of ourselves, the player himself said that he could have been No3 before now had he fulfilled his tour commitments last year - he withdrew from the event in Indianapolis, unaware of a new rule that condemned him to a “zero-pointer” on his ranking record that could have been retrieved had he flown to Indiana and carried out promotional work on behalf of the tournament. That is a long way to go to shake a few hands.

He will not make the mistake of ignoring the fine print again. Murray, who has held the No4 spot for 32 consecutive weeks since September 8 last year, has made a career-best 29-3 start to the year to close quickly on Djokovic, who has been ranked No3 every week bar one since Wimbledon 2007. With last year's Monte Carlo points dropping off from the player's average next Monday, Federer loses 700 points, Djokovic 450 and Murray 150, which equates to a mere 110 points separating Serb from Scot as we start this championship.

At the very least, when the French Open begins next month, Murray, who reached the third round at Roland Garros last year, will be only 280 points adrift of Federer, who was the runner-up in Paris. Should Murray overhaul the Swiss - which is very much on the cards - Federer would have to hope the grass-court formula that Wimbledon figures into its seedings prevents him from being relegated at SW19 by virtue of the five-times former champion's record of excellence there. That would be hard to swallow.

How does Murray feel here after making such a resounding impact on his seasonal, clay-court debut in Monte Carlo, where he reached the semi-finals. “It has been windy, tough to play and tricky, but I feel confident,” he said. “Even if I don't start the matches well, I think I can get into a rhythm much quicker than I could even a couple of months ago.”

He has to continue to play with the courage and sheer excellence that he has demonstrated thus far in 2009 and Mуnaco, who rose to No14 last year before a bout of pneumonia and ankle problems knocked him back, is a spikey first challenge on wettened clay.

As something out of the ordinary, Murray visited 10 Downing Street last week with David Beckham, on behalf of Malaria No More, a charity of which they are patrons. One wondered if he had had the temerity to ask Gordon Brown, his fellow Scot, about the new 50 per cent tax rate? “No, unfortunately,” said the man who in 2009 has won $1,695,887 (about Ј1.1million) in prize money.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/tennis/article6181582.ece

 Posted: 27.04.09 23:28. Post subject: Federer on the horiz..

Federer on the horizon as Murray eyes third base
By Mike Dickson
Last updated at 8:31 PM on 27th April 2009

Now that Andy Murray has almsot overtaken world No 3 Novak Djokovic, he is slowly but surely bearing down on Roger Federer's No 2 spot.

He can further his cause this week by progressing deep into the Rome Masters, but will not have to do a great deal to leapfrog his Serbian rival.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-1174002/Federer-horizon-Murray-eyes-base.html

 Posted: 29.04.09 21:33. Post subject: ANDY MURRAY: “I KNEW..

ANDY MURRAY: “I KNEW IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN SOMETIME”

After crashing out 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 to qualifier Juan Monaco, Andy Murray was nevertheless in an upbeat mood as he looked to the rest of the clay season.

“Conditions changed a lot during the match,” said the No4 seed, who got off to a flying start before getting bogged down in the second set. “You look at the court during the first set and it was very heavy and very damp. At the end, it was really dry, quite slippy and much quicker conditions. That might explain a little bit why it was a bit of a different standard of tennis played. Maybe when the courts dried out he was able to dictate more of the points. I'm not saying the conditions were the reason I lost the match. It was just very different to what it was at the start. The last five or six days when we were practising, the weather had been damp and the courts were slow, and then it was obviously much quicker at the end. Maybe that's where I made a few more errors. I don't mind whether the clay is quicker or slower – it just changed a lot during the match.”

Despite going out at this early stage, Murray refused to be downhearted and took the positives from the match. “It wasn't my best but I was still very close to winning. I've found ways of coming through when I haven't been playing my best early in tournaments this year. On the clay, that's something that I need to try and work out a little bit more. But I’m not going to be too disappointed. I would have liked to have got my run going, but I've had a great eight months and haven't lost early for a long time. I knew it was going to happen sometime. I’ve just got to move on and realize that I've been playing much better this year than I was last year on clay and work hard for Madrid.”

Murray also mentioned some problems adjusting to a new racquet, though he refused to lay the blame on either his equipment or on the foot-fault call at 5-5 in the final set which led to his being broken to love. “I'm playing with new racquets this week - the same weight and balance but it's just always when you get new racquets it takes time,” he said. “You have to string them three or four times before they come out the right way because the grommets are new.”

“I don't move my left foot when I serve, so I don't get foot faulted very often,” he continued. “If I was foot faulting, I was foot faulting. It was just quite surprising that after two hours and forty minutes we'd been playing and I had one, and it came out of nowhere. I missed the next four first serves but that's bad concentration from me - something that I need to get better at.”

 Posted: 29.04.09 22:00. Post subject: Rome: Dubs reaction ..

Rome: Dubs reaction ПК после неудачного дубля
27 April, 2009 | 20:04

Could you just talk about the match against Monaco? Clearly you just had recent experience playing him on hard court. What do you think he offers different on clay that is a challenge for you?

He plays well on hard and on clay. He had a bad illness last year, and before that he was ranked inside the top 20. He got to the fourth round of the US Open a couple years ago and pushed Djokovic really close. He plays well in the South America clay court tournaments at the start of most years, and that's where he's had most of his success. He obviously likes this surface. But I'm feeling better on the clay this year than I was last.

Q. Are you aware of the sort of very complex calculations about Nos. 2, 3, and 4 in the rankings? Have you sat down and worked out yourself how things are the next few weeks?

No. I'm a long way behind Federer. I need to win a lot of matches if I want to try and catch up to him. I know this week I'm pretty sure well, Novak has to win the tournament to stay 3, I think, you know. But looking at Federer, I haven't really thought about it. I've been asked about the No. 3 ranking a lot, and I'd be there if I didn't get penalized for withdrawing from one of the tournaments last year, which I didn't know what the rules were. I've only get my best 17 tournaments instead of my best 18, so hopefully that's not going to come back to bite me.

Q. Could you perhaps talk about the different elements? I mean, Monaco and now here and then Madrid, sort of three different types of clay and different conditions, et cetera, going into the French. Do you think it's tougher this year to prepare for the clay season with the different elements and conditions and the altitude and what have you?

No. I think it's, you know, the altitude does affect the game a bit, that's for sure. I guess a lot of the guys that are ranked a bit higher are taking a week off in between, you know, each tournament, which gives enough time to get to the tournaments early to practice and prepare properly. I don't think it should take you more than, you know, five days to sort of get used to the conditions. You know, I got here on Friday. You know, before Monte Carlo I was there on the Friday and didn't play until Tuesday. Madrid will be the same thing, and Paris I'll probably be there a couple days earlier. Shouldn't really be a problem.

Q. You played a doubles match just now. Do you get a feel for the courts based on that, or is it not something you can do in a doubles match?

No, I mean, the conditions out there today were terrible. It was so there was so much like from the trees and stuff blowing onto the court, like there's no clay on it at all. It was like really dusty. We all had to stop quite a few times to shield ourselves from the clay getting in our eyes. In conditions like that you don't really get used to a surface or whatever. I practiced a few days here, and, you know, I mean, it's a clay court. You play the same sort of way. You just adjust a little bit. It shouldn't be a problem.

Q. Those kind of conditions, have you seen those before, or is that a little bit abnormal?

I've played in very windy conditions before, it's just on the clay it becomes a bit different just because of a lot of stopping, you know, in between points and sort of you got to delay the points a bit because of the, you know, the clay sort of blowing into your eyes. You only really get it here. I mean, I practice in Barcelona a lot and it can get windy there, as well. I've seen bad conditions, it's just it's different playing in windy conditions on grass or hard.

Q. Anything about 10 Downing Street take you by surprise?

Not really. I mean, it was, I guess, kind of what you expected. Nice place. Obviously first time I had been there. It was nice to meet the prime minister. He was very, very nice. He knew a lot about everything as you would expect. No, it was great. Really enjoyed it.

 Posted: 29.04.09 22:14. Post subject: Monaco stuns Murray ..

Monaco stuns Murray in Rome tennis epic

April 30, 2009 - 3:49AM
Qualifier Juan Monaco dumped world number four Andy Murray out of the ATP Rome Masters on Wednesday following an epic three-set match that lasted two hours 40 minutes.

The Argentine clay specialist made a mockery of his number 58 world ranking to come through 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 against an out-of-sorts Murray, who has yet to win a match on court here on the Roman dirt in three attempts.

The Scot's only victory here came last year when Juan Del Potro retired with a back injury during the third set of their first round clash.

The fourth seed coasted to the first set as Monaco took his time to settle but once the Argentine found his range, both players dug into their trenches and went to war.

Monaco broke Murray in the second game of the second set but was broken back straight away before another break in the eighth game allowed him to square the match at a set all.

Murray paid for a pitiful first serve percentage of just 39 percent in that second set compared with Monaco's impressive 84 percent of first serves in.

The Briton looked lethargic during that set and things barely improved in the decider as he was broken in the third game following a horrible drop shot that allowed Monaco to race to the net and pass him easily.

However, the Argentine returned the favour on break point in the next game but Murray gave the advantage straight back as he went long on break point in the fifth game, making it three breaks in a row.

Just as Monaco looked to be heading to victory he played a woeful eighth game when he was broken to love after plopping successive forehands into the net.

Both players then held serve before Murray ominously began the 11th game with a double fault. He followed that up with a forehand error and a Monaco forehand winner gave the qualifier three break points, which he took at the first attempt after another terrible Murray drop shot left him hopelessly exposed.

Murray had a great chance at 15-15 in the next game but hit a dreadful sliced backhand that drifted wide when he had Monaco on the back foot.

Monaco set up match point with a successful drop shot and although Murray saved the first, he over-ran a forehand and chopped his awkward, cramped, sliced effort into the bottom of the net to hand his opponent an unlikely victory.

Monaco will play Marin Cilic of Croatia in the next round after the 15th seed desposed of Belgium's Christophe Rochus in three sets 6-0, 5-7, 6-2.

http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-world/monaco-stuns-murray-in-rome-tennis-epic-20090430-anju.html

 Posted: 30.04.09 09:31. Post subject: UPDATE 1-Tennis-Murr..

UPDATE 1-Tennis-Murray upbeat despite early Rome exit
Wed Apr 29, 2009 5:26pm

* Murray not worried about defeat to qualifier

* World number four switches focus to Madrid Masters



(Recasts with quotes)

By Paul Virgo

ROME, April 29 (Reuters) - Andy Murray refused to get too disheartened after being knocked out of the Rome Masters in his opening match on Wednesday.

"I'm not going to be too disappointed. I would have liked to have got my run going but I've had a great eight months," the fourth seed, who had a bye into the second round, told reporters following his 1-6 6-3 7-5 defeat by Argentine qualifier Juan Monaco.

"I haven't lost early for a long time. I knew it was going to happen some time."

Murray has risen to fourth in the rankings thanks to his strong performance over the past year. Such has been his consistency, he had not lost his opening match at a tournament since the Beijing Olympics last August.
After dominating the first set, the 21-year-old Scot blamed the changing conditions for losing serve six times.

Although the clay courts at Rome's Foro Italico dried out as the game went on, he struggled to make an impact on a surface made heavy by the rain that caused the clash to be postponed on Tuesday.

"He started playing much better. He made a lot of mistakes in the first set but conditions changed a lot during the match," Murray said. "It was obviously much quicker at the end. Maybe that's where I made a few more errors."

He said he was now looking to next month's Madrid Masters, where he'll be looking to repeat the progress he showed on his least favourite surface when reaching the semi-finals of the Monte Carlo tournament.

"I've just got to move on and realise that I've been playing much better this year than I was last year on clay and work hard for Madrid," he said.

 Posted: 30.04.09 09:42. Post subject: Энди Мюррей: «Не соб..

Энди Мюррей: «Не собираюсь расстраиваться из-за поражения от Монако»

Британец Энди Мюррей, закончивший свое выступление на турнире в Риме после поражения от аргентинца Хуана Монако во втором круге со счетом 6:1, 3:6, 5:7, прокомментировал матч.

«Я провел не самый лучший матч, но я был близок к победе. В последнее время я научился вытягивать матчи, когда не идет игра. На грунте есть еще вещи, над которыми мне надо поработать, поэтому я не собираюсь расстраиваться.

Последние несколько месяцев я здорово выступал, и раннее поражение должно было когда-нибудь случиться. Я понял, что в этом году играю на грунте лучше, чем в прошлом. Теперь буду готовиться к Мадриду», – приводит слова теннисиста AFP.

 Posted: 01.05.09 13:33. Post subject: J. MONACO/A. Murray ..

J. MONACO/A. Murray
1-6, 6-3, 7-5


THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. It was a strange match. Very different types of sets. After you won the first one, in what way did your game go off?
ANDY MURRAY: Well, I mean, to be fair, he started playing much better. He made a lot of mistakes in the first set, but conditions changed a lot during the match.
You look at the court during the first set, and it was very heavy and very damp. At the end, it was, you know, really dry, quite slippy, and much quicker conditions.
That might explain a little bit why it was a bit of a different standard of tennis played. You know, maybe when the courts dried out he was able to dictate more of the points.

Q. In terms of your performances this year so far, how would you rate today, assess today?
ANDY MURRAY: Well, it wasn't my best match, but, you know, I was still very close to winning. You know, I've found ways of coming through when I haven't been playing my best early in tournaments this year.
You know, on the clay, that's something that I need to, you know, just maybe try and work out a little bit more.
But, you know, not going to be too disappointed. I would have liked to have got my sort of run going, but I've had a great eight months. Haven't lost early for a long time.
You know, I knew it was going to happen sometime. I just got to move on and, you know, realize that, you know, I've been playing much better this year than I was last year on clay can, and work hard for Madrid.

Q. Any particular lessons that you take from today?
ANDY MURRAY: No, there's not one thing in particular. Came down to a few points here or there at the end. You know, I could have gone up a break early in the second set, and maybe that would have made a difference to his confidence. Once he held that game, he started to play a bit better. But it's not one thing in particular.
I didn't feel like I hit the ball as clean as I did in Monte-Carlo. But then again, it's very different conditions.

Q. You talk about the different conditions. We thought that this kind of clay was more suitable to your game because it's a little faster. Instead it wasn't.
ANDY MURRAY: No, I mean, I'm not saying the conditions were the reason I lost the match. It was just very different to what it was at the start. The last five or six days when we were practicing, the weather had been damp and the courts were slow, and then it was obviously much quicker at the end. Maybe that's where I made a few more errors.
I don't mind whether the clay is quicker or slower. Just changed a lot during the match.

Q. What was the issue with the racquet? Seemed as though you were struggling to get the tension right.
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, it is tough. I mean, again, obviously it was much slower at the start, but I'm playing with new racquets this week. The same like weight and balance and stuff, but it's just always when you get new racquets it takes time for -- you have to string them three or four times before they come out the right way, because the grommets are new.
So that's probably quite boring. But anyway, I was playing with new racquets, whatever. Just that the tensions were a little bit different.

Q. We were trying to remember the last time that you were foot faulted. Can you remember when?
ANDY MURRAY: Not really. I mean, I don't move my left foot when I serve, so, yeah, I don't get foot faulted very often.

Q. When there's a lot of the clay on the line, don't you think that's a little bit of a harsh call at that stage of the match?
ANDY MURRAY: I don't know. If I was foot faulting, I was foot faulting. I don't know. I obviously didn't see it.
It was just, yeah, quite surprising that after two hours and forty minutes we'd been playing and I had one, and then it kind of came a bit out of nowhere. I missed the next four first serves, which could be -- maybe that's bad concentration from me. Maybe that's something that I need to get better at.
But, yeah, I don't get called for that too often.

 Posted: 01.05.09 21:41. Post subject: Andy Murray to Build..

Andy Murray to Build Up Leg Strength for French Open
Tennis: The world No4 Andy Murray has decided to recharge his batteries after defeat in Rome – and then focus on building leg strength for the clay of Madrid and the French Open

For Andy Murray everything is carefully calculated. His development since Wimbledon last year has been rapid, Murray achieving a level of consistency and excellence on hardcourts, and indoors, that has seen him dramatically close the gap on Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic. But as the French Open nears, he remains mindful that on clay he lags considerably behind the trio in terms of experience and success.

By reaching the semi-finals against Nadal in Monte Carlo, and for a few games rocking the undisputed King of Clay, he confirmed his potential, while the defeat here in Rome yesterday against Argentina's Juan Mуnaco, who has now reached the quarter-finals with a 6-4,6-4 victory over Croatia's Marin Cilic, underlined the fact that Murray, for the time being, is more vulnerable on clay than any other surface. But that will change.

"On hard courts it's a bit easier to find a player's weakness. On clay, because the ball sits up a lot more, it's tough to get through the court and apply pressure," said Murray. "You need to have more of a set pattern to get into position, so that if there's a short ball you can really go for a weakness. I started to find it against Rafa in Monte Carlo, and against Monaco I started well but I just couldn't keep it up."

Murray admitted to being a little tired mentally at the moment, and in need of a break. "I didn't have that much time in between winning the title in Miami and the beginning of the clay-court season." He will have a few days clear of tennis and training this week, and then concentrate on building up his leg muscles prior to the start of the Madrid Masters a week this Sunday, the last major test before Roland Garros.

"You need to have strong legs on clay, to be able to last for four hours and to shift your balance when you're sliding. So I'll do some work on that and try and give myself a bit more balance," the Scot explained.

Nadal has suggested that Murray may, ultimately, be in a position to challenge for the French Open title. However Murray will set his sights a little more conservatively this year, aiming to improve on last year's third-round defeat, and perhaps reach the second week.

Djokovic, who must retain his title here to prevent Murray claiming the world No3 spot, easily reached the last eight with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Spain's Tommy Robredo, and tomorrow plays the world No5 Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina, who beat the 2008 runner-up Stanislas Wawrinka, of Switzerland, 6-2, 6-7, 6-3.

© Guardian News & Media 2008
Published: 4/30/2009

 Posted: 01.05.09 21:46. Post subject: Scotland planning Mu..

Scotland planning Murray swoop
DOUG GILLON May 01 2009

Scotland will make every effort to persuade Andy and Jamie Murray to pull on a Scottish vest at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi next year.

Tennis is making its Games debut and the qualifying period for all sports opens today. Precise tennis details have yet to be thrashed out, but leading Scottish players have been told the dates, with a view to making themselves available.

Pete Nicolson, who has just been appointed tennis team manager, is currently on holiday. "When I return, we're hoping to finalise the criteria," he said last night. "We may not field a full team. The policy should be even across all sports, and the basic standard is top eight at the last Games. So we'd be looking for players able to make the top eight.

advertisement
"It's too early to say about Andy and Jamie, but they know the event is on. I'd be disappointed if they wouldn't want to fit it into their schedule. If Andy was challenging for No.1 in the world, he wouldn't get any ranking points for the Commonwealth Games. That's the major downside.

"I know the guys would love to play if they possibly can, and it's a fantastic chance to showcase Scottish tennis if at all possible.

"They're waiting for us to go back and give them a lot more detail. Selection won't be an issue for them, but there are others like Colin Fleming, Jamie Baker, and Elena Baltacha who could be in the team, as well.

The Commonwealth event runs from October 4 to 10. This coincides with the China and Japan Opens, but the Shanghai Masters, which would be a must for Andy, starts on October 11. However, he could expect a first-round bye, which would give him two more days.

 Posted: 03.05.09 22:28. Post subject: Murray to move third..

Murray to move third in rankings

Andy Murray will become the first British man to reach number three in the world rankings on 11 May.

The 21-year-old Scot will overtake Novak Djokovic in the ATP World Tour standings after the Serb failed to defend his title at the Rome Masters.

Murray lost in round two but has been on a superb run since last summer and now has 11 career titles to his name.

He is next in action at the Madrid Masters from 10 May as he prepares for the French Open later this month.
Murray is the defending champion in Madrid, although it is a vastly different event this year as it has changed from an indoor tournament in October to an outdoor clay event in May.

Since the computerised rankings were introduced in 1973, both Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski have made it to number four in the 52-week rolling standings.

But Murray has broken new ground in a year that has seen him suffer just five defeats so far and collect titles in Doha, Rotterdam and at the prestigious Miami Masters 1000.

He reached his first Grand Slam final at the US Open last September, losing to Roger Federer, and landing one of the game's four major prizes remains his primary target.

Andy will deserve it," world number two Federer told BBC Radio 5 Live earlier this week when asked about Murray's possible move to number three.

"He didn't win the big ones but he was very, very solid in Masters Series play and I think if he becomes number three in the world everybody will agree that he absolutely deserves it."

Asked about losing third spot to Murray following his defeat by Rafael Nadal in Rome, Djokovic said: "It's very close. I'm defending a lot of points, so it's not strange that it happened.

"He has been playing really well lately but it's still close. I can get it back. It's really up and down."

 Posted: 05.05.09 09:52. Post subject: From The Times May 4..

From The Times
May 4, 2009

Andy Murray makes history with top-three spot, but get ready for more

Neil Harman
He may have sheepishly raised a glass of sparkling mineral water at home while those of us in the Eternal City toasted him in Rosso Di Montalcino. Andy Murray is the world’s third-best tennis player, although, by the quirks with which these things are worked out, official confirmation will not come until next Monday. To hell with hanging around. This is something very special.

When computer rankings were introduced in 1973, the first three names on the list were Ilie Nastase, Manuel Orantes and Stan Smith. From next Monday, when the points that Novak Djokovic earned from winning in Rome last year are subtracted from his total, he slips down a spot and Murray moves in behind Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

It is a first for Britain and, for all we have seen of him and can skilfully project, better is to come. And it may not be too long before it happens.

From a first look at Murray as a 16-year-old, it was clear that he had something rare in a British player: an absolute certainty of himself, fixed firmly to a technique and court appreciation that, once he had fully developed into his body, would likely propel him into the highest reaches of the game.

It would have been a brave man to state categorically that he would rise quite this high because, well, he is British player. But on the eve of his 22nd birthday, having matured and filled out, he is a very formidable athlete and one well aware of his status.

Tim Henman reached No 4, as did Greg Rusedski, but neither — if they were being honest — believed they would go higher.

It is tribute to Murray that, at a time when Nadal, two short of equalling Andre Agassi’s record 17 Masters Series titles, and Federer, one short of equalling Pete Sampras’s record 14 grand-slam titles, are ruling the roost, the Scot is right in there with them, ruffling feathers, promising much and not yet near his peak.

This is a moment for British tennis to celebrate a special talent. Now back to the practice court.

 Posted: 05.05.09 09:56. Post subject: Murray reaches all-t..

Murray reaches all-time high No.3 The next time Scotland's Andy Murray steps out to play a tennis match, he will be the world No.3.

Novak Djokovic's defeat by Rafael Nadal in the final of the Rome Masters yesterday ensures that Murray will overtake the Serb as the third-best player on the new rankings, which will be released next Monday.

Regardless of how Djokovic performs this week in the ATP event in his homeland - the Belgrade tournament is owned by the Djokovic family - Murray will pass him.

It is a huge achievement for the young Scot who also becomes the first British player to be ranked in the top three since the computerised rankings began in 1973.

While Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski both made it to No.4, neither man went higher. Murray has done just that, all before the age of 22, and things could get better for him because he has very few points to defend, either at the Madrid Masters, which begins next Monday, or in the French Open, which starts in three weeks' time.

Should Roger Federer fail to reach the final in Paris, the No.2 spot could even be his for the taking before Wimbledon.

Murray was beaten in the second round in Rome, by Argentine Juan Monaco, but showed he can compete on clay by reaching the semi-finals in Monte Carlo two weeks before that, when he pushed Nadal hard.

Djokovic admitted it had been almost inevitable. "It's very close, but I'm defending a lot of points, so it's not strange that it has happened," he said. "He has been playing really well lately."

Murray, meanwhile, has pledged to keep things in perspective. "I just need to make sure that I keep it going, don't get ahead of myself and just keep playing each match as it comes," he said."

 Posted: 10.05.09 13:08. Post subject: Roger Federer's ..

Roger Federer's No2 ranking is a close target for Andy Murray, says Tim Henman
Serena Williams, although she is second in the women's rankings behind Dinara Safina, keeps on telling tennis: "I'm still No 1".

Roger Federer does not like it one bit when stadium announcers introduce him as the former men's world No 1. Rankings truly matter to the players, which is why Andy Murray will be delighted when the men's list is updated on Monday, as it will show that that he has become the first British man to be rated as the third best on the planet.

So far, no one has been suggesting an open-top bus ride down Dunblane High Street, or commemorative mugs and tea-towels. And yet it would be tricky to mount a counter-argument against Tim Henman's assessment that Murray's new ranking is a 'landmark' event. The official rankings came into being in 1973; it has taken 36 years for a British man to work his way up to third in the list; Murray going above Serbia's Novak Djokovic.

Henman, though, said that Murray would not spend too much time as the world No 3, as he believes that the Scot could move past Federer before the Wimbledon Championships start next month.

"I wouldn't be surprised if Andy was second in the world pretty soon. He could do it in the next few weeks," said Henman, whose highest position was fourth.

"It's a landmark, and it's a great achievement, but he is still so young and he is improving so quickly that he will achieve far bigger and better things. I think he'll be No 1 at some stage; I really do, because he's that good. Just look at the way he has played against Federer.

" I'd say that Federer is the best player of all time, and Andy has got an unbelievable record against him, and you don't do that by chance. He's won three Masters titles already, and 11 titles overall, it's phenomenal. I think he's better than Djokovic."

Of course, what Murray wants more than anything is a grand slam title, a prize that no British man has won since Fred Perry at the 1936 US Open. Henman noted that Murray, who turns 22 on Friday, is sharing his era with two of the greatest players to have swung a racket. "[Rafael] Nadal and Federer are once-in-a-lifetime players. This is Andy's era. So it's hard."

Henman's era came to an end with his retirement in 2007, but the 34-year-old, who remains an ambassador for Robinsons soft drinks, has been back in training for next Sunday's exhibition event at Wimbledon under the new retractable roof over Centre Court, which will also feature Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf and Kim Clijsters.

"I had lunch with Andy the other day, and watched him practise," said Henman. "He's in a good place."

This week, Murray is playing on the clay courts of Madrid, the last warm-up tournament before the French Open. A spokesman for the ATP said that Murray would be regarded as the defending champion at La Caja Magica, at the 'Magic Box' venue, even though he has never previously even reached a final on clay, let alone even won a title on the surface.

That is because Murray won last autumn's indoor hard-court tournament in the Spanish capital. This year, the Madrid event has changed venue, changed surface, and changed its place in the calendar.

If it seems a little ridiculous that Murray should be seen as the defending champion in Spain, it makes perfect sense that he is going to be the highest ranked British man in history. "The rankings don't lie," Henman said.

To Henman's mind, Murray should be thankful to Brad Gilbert, the coach he sacked, as well as to his current coach, Miles Maclagan. "Andy has made enormous improvements in every aspect. He is fitter and stronger, and you can see that visually.

His game has improved so much. I think that everyone reflects on Andy and Brad in a bad light, saying that they clashed, and, yeah, it wasn't a great mix of personalities, but a lot of what Brad was working on is what Andy does now.

''That's a reflection of how well Miles has done because he's been able to get the point across and deliver it better so they've been able to have a great relationship," Henman said.

"Andy's more aggressive. He's serving better. He's taking the ball on. He's more proactive. He understands the game better. He's matured – you can see that from his demeanour on the court. He's always going to be a bit fiery at times, and get frustrated, but that's him, that's just the way he is."

Already, thoughts are turning to Wimbledon, to a possible fortnight of grass-court 'Andy-monium'.

"Andy has been there, he's been in that environment," Henman said. "He understands it, and he has more confidence now because he's got the wins and the victories behind him. That all helps, all giving him the platform to give him his best chance at Wimbledon."

 Posted: 10.05.09 13:10. Post subject: The arrival of a roo..

The arrival of a roof for Centre Court at Wimbledon is a life-changing event
Simon Barnes

All great advances come at a price. With the rise of science came the decline of religion; with industrialisation came the despoiling of the planet; with the Centre Court roof comes the loss of the rain delay. Life will never be quite the same again.

The cover of a book called Watching the English, by Kate Fox, the anthropologist, shows a couple sitting in a completely empty Centre Court beneath an umbrella, bored out of their minds and — not entirely by coincidence — reading a damp Daily Telegraph. They are Not Giving Up. It is a quintessential image of Englishness.

Making the best of things. Drinking Pimm’s under dripping awnings. Waiting for the next announcement: “The news from the London Weather Centre is that there will be another shah — in about half an ah.” And the shah falls, as shahs do, but still they stay, ensnared by the hope of seeing a plucky British wild card get double bageled.

I think that this will be my 25th Wimbledon as a working journo. Every year, every time it has rained, the press room has shared the same joke: “Let’s write about putting a roof over Centre Court.” This ancient journalistic last resort was given a new twist one year in this very newspaper. We — I use the term loosely — came up with the still more desperate notion: why don’t they put a roof over the entire complex?

In the days when journalism was a more bibulous profession, we would naturally retire to the bar. Many were the drinkers who got caught out by a dramatic improvement in the weather after they had morally abandoned play for the day. And meanwhile, some poor sod has to do a story about how players cope with the rain delays.

How indeed? If there had been a roof over Centre Court in 2001, Tim Henman would have won the tournament. But alas, he lost momentum during a match that lasted over three desperate rain-lashed days. For the want of a roof, a championship was lost.

Cliff Richard sang only once on Centre Court, 13 years ago, but it was enough. Enough to establish a legend for all time. For once we cast modesty aside and positively flaunted our modesty of expectations before the world.

But now, when it rains, life will go on untroubled, at least for those with Centre Court tickets. Never again will we see that strange tent above the grass. The legend of SW19 states that the groundsmen once rolled back that famous wet green canvas tent to discover a still life: two glasses, an empty champagne bottle and an equally empty pair of knickers. This year they’ll have to watch the tennis

 Posted: 11.05.09 16:37. Post subject: Энди Мюррей: «Я бы г..

Энди Мюррей: «Я бы гордился еще больше, если бы мое имя в рейтинге было между Надалем и Федерером»

Британец Энди Мюррей, поднявшийся на третью строчку в рейтинге АТР, накануне своего старта на турнире в Мадриде заявил, что гордится этим достижением, но нацелен на большее.

«Я бы гордился еще больше, если бы мое имя в рейтинге было между Надалем и Федерером. Я совершил серьезный рывок за последние восемь или девять месяцев, и рейтинг это отражает. Приблизиться к этим двоим или вклиниться между ними – трудная задача. Они занимают первую-вторую позицию уже пять или шесть лет. Это невероятное достижение.

Я знаю, что, для того, чтобы у меня был шанс обойти Федерера, я должен показать свою лучшую игру в течение следующих двух месяцев. И самое важное, что для этого нужно – это концентрация на игре, а не на рейтинге», – цитирует Мюррея AFP.

http://www.sports.ru/tennis/8403401.html

 Posted: 11.05.09 19:26. Post subject: Энди хорош - занимае..

Энди хорош - занимает почетное третье место и недоволен еще

Ну, так надо достигнуть большего, чтобы этим гордиться, no?
Усе, как говорится, в твоих руках.

 Posted: 12.05.09 15:25. Post subject: Энди Мюррей: «Турнир..

Энди Мюррей: «Турнир в Мадриде имеет хороший потенциал для развития»

Новоиспеченный третий номер мирового рейтинга шотландец Энди Мюррей в преддверии своего старта на турнире в Мадриде рассказал, что для него сейчас важно поступательно двигаться от матча к матчу и от турнира к турниру.

«Очень сложно каждую неделю находить правильный баланс между тем, что приходится играть слишком много, или слишком мало. На этой неделе я потратил на тренировки больше времени, чем за время участия в двух последних турнирах.

Я прибыл сюда в среду, и у меня была пара выходных дней после поражения в Риме. Работа на тренировках над некоторыми элементами игры придаст мне уверенности на корте, и это действительно лучшее, что сейчас можно сделать.

Сейчас моя задача – выиграть на этом турнире первый матч. После него – второй матч. И так дальше каждый следующий матч. У меня достаточно сложная сетка, да и условия здесь другие. Поэтому, мне кажется, неправильно думать о полуфинале или финале. Я имею ввиду, что сейчас я играю недостаточно хорошо на грунтовом покрытии, а первый матч мне предстоит с победителем пары хороших грунтовиков.

Турнир проходит на новом стадионе с крышей, и это отлично для зрителей. У них всегда есть возможность без проблем смотреть теннис. Это создает большой потенциал для развития турнира в Мадриде», – приводит слова Мюррея официальный сайт турнира.

http://www.sports.ru/tennis/8490482.html

 Posted: 12.05.09 15:25. Post subject: Андре Агасси: «Мюрре..

Андре Агасси: «Мюррей может выиграть несколько турниров «Большого шлема»

Легендарный американский теннисист Андре Агасси, который должен приехать в Англию для проведения выставочного турнира под раздвижной крышей на Центральном корте «Уимблдона» в воскресенье, ответил на вопрос о перспективах британской надежды Энди Мюррея на выигрыш турнира «Большого шлема».

«Думаю, наибольшие шансы у Энди выиграть первым Открытый чемпионат США. Там самое быстрое покрытие, оно ему лучше всего подходит. Он отлично двигается, может прекрасно распорядиться быстрым отскоком, отлично подходит к мячу. Но я думаю, он может выиграть больше, чем один турнир «Большого шлема», стать мультичемпионом. Он постоянно совершенствуется, учится контролировать себя, оставаться собранным. Он еще молод, но у него уже сейчас есть все – движение, атлетизм, скорость, прекрасные удары. Все это он уже демонстрировал в матчах против трудных соперников», – приводит слова Агасси BBC SPORT.

http://www.sports.ru/tennis/8514484.html

 Posted: 13.05.09 10:27. Post subject: Энди Мюррей: «По ход..

Энди Мюррей: «По ходу матча я играл все ближе к задней линии»

Третья ракетка мира британец Энди Мюррей, обыгравший во втором круге турнира в Мадриде итальянца Симоне Болелли со счетом 7:6, 6:4, прокомментировал матч, а также своего следующего соперника испанца Томми Робредо.

«Я достаточно хорошо чувствовал себя на корте, по-моему, не упустил ни мяча на протяжении всего матча. Первый сет был очень сложным. Я сыграл несколько хороших розыгрышей, и в целом, доволен матчем.

Болелли бьет по мячу сильнее, чем большинство ребят. К тому же, в условиях непривычного корта мне было сложно с самого начала матча играть прямо на задней линии. Но по ходу матча я подходил к ней все ближе и ближе.

Если вы посмотрите, как, например, Рафа играет на грунте, вы увидите, что в начале матча он много мячей встречает далеко за задней линией. Он пытается играть надежно и получать больше уверенности. А когда он ее получает, он играет все ближе и ближе к задней линии. Так же и я действовал сегодня.

Без сомнения, Робредо входит в десятку лучших грунтовиков. Он выиграл несколько турниров на грунте в Южной Америке, он будет играть дома, так что поддержка ему обеспечена. Этот матч станет хорошей проверкой для меня. Надеюсь, что смогу сыграть так же, как сегодня, и у меня будет шанс», – приводит слова теннисиста официальный сайт АТР.