Posted: 22.03.09 14:52. Post subject: СМИ о скоттише (продолжение)

ПК, интервью, статьи, новости, высказывания

 Posted: 27.05.09 22:40. Post subject: Эмилио Санчес: «Мюрр..

Эмилио Санчес: «Мюррей был очень спокойным, хорошим ребенком»

Двукратный чемпион «Ролан Гаррос» в парном разряде Эмилио Санчес заявил, что у британца Энди Мюррея есть все шансы добиться успехов в розыгрыше турнира этого года.

«Если Мюррей проявит терпение и поверит в свои умения, он сможет дойти до финальной стадии турнира. Но для этого ему надо поверить в свою голову, свое сердце и свои ноги.

Ему надо быть более терпеливым и больше использовать свою голову, свой талант более эффективно. Он должен использовать свои физические умения, не только силу, которую выработал сам, но и к тому же быть более стойким. Это ключ к игре на грунте. У него он есть, но я не уверен, что он знает, как показать его, или вообще знает о его наличии.

Когда он приехал в мою академию, ему было немного трудно интенсивно тренироваться, но он постепенно учился дисциплине. С самого начала было совершенно понятно, что в нем есть что-то особенное. Прежде всего углы его ударов, которым невозможно научить.

Он был очень спокойным, хорошим ребенком. Иногда нам приходилось звать его из его комнаты, чтобы он тренировался. Он был хорошим другом для своих друзей и иногда даже принимал наказание за других без жалоб», – приводит слова испанца ESPN.com.

http://www.sports.ru/tennis/10432223.html

 Posted: 27.05.09 22:42. Post subject: Энди Мюррей: «Мне нр..

Энди Мюррей: «Мне нравится смотреть на игру Санторо»

Третья ракетка мира британец Энди Мюррей, обыгравший во втором круге «Ролан Гаррос» итальянца Потито Стараче со счетом 6:3, 2:6, 7:5, 6:4, прокомментировал матч, а также рассказал о том, стиль игры какого теннисиста импонирует ему больше всего.

Это часто случается в пятисетовых матчах. Я проиграл свою подачу в начале вторго сета, когда после долгого гейма был еще один долгий гейм на моей подаче. Может быть, если бы мне удалось удержать тот гейм, все пошло по-другому.

После того как он сделал брейк, он заиграл на порядок лучше. Я проиграл много мячей в центральной части корта. Он очень коротко бил с бэкхенда в первом сете, а когда во втором он вышел вперед, он начал бить лучше.

Знаете, я играл слишком далеко за задней линией. Его главное оружие – это форхенд, и им он заставлял меня много двигаться. Но самое важное, что я нашел способ выиграть, и я счастлив оказаться в следующем раунде.

Честно говоря, в третьем сете я был немного растерян. Я позволил ему вернуться в игру. Очевидно, что он диктовал ход развития розгрышей. Я подумал, что это нормально. Но вы знаете, это очень рискованно, особенно в конце сетов.

Мне было немножко тяжело найти баланс. Он сделал множество хороших укороченных, на которые я поначалу не мог ответить. Но мне удалось справиться с этим, добавив в игру немножечко агрессии. Я стал глубже бить ему под бэкхенд и чаще выходить к сетке. Я имею в виду, что есть много компонентов, которыми я остался доволен, а еще есть вещи, которые заработают в следующих матчах.

Мне нравится смотреть на игру Санторо. Он сыграл свой последний матч вчера. Я смотрел несколько его игр по телевизору и наслаждался каждым розыгрышем. Это именно то, ради чего я смотрю теннис. В общем, Санторо мне нравится, потому что это абсолютно другой стиль, очень необычный и увлекательный. А из Топ-игроков мне нравится Надаль. Он всегда играет долгие розыгрыши и выполняет несколько отличных обводящих ударов», – приводит слова теннисиста официальный сайт «Ролан Гаррос».

http://www.sports.ru/tennis/10428208.html

 Posted: 28.05.09 19:58. Post subject: ПК по-русски Энди М..

ПК по-русски

Энди Мюррей: «Хочу выиграть «Уимблдон» или US Open»
Наталья Копосова

На пресс-конференции Энди Мюррея после матча с Потито Стараче царили строгие английские правила. Англоговорящих журналистов на «Ролан Гаррос» по традиции значительно больше, чем русскоговорящих, а третья ракетка мира естественно собрал полный зал. Но специальный корреспондент Sports.ru в Париже Наталья Копосова нашла возможность задать несколько вопросов.

– Отвлечемся немного от «Ролан Гаррос». Какой турнир, если не считать «Уимблдона», вы хотели бы выиграть больше всего?
– Я действительно хотел бы выиграть «Уимблдон». Победа на «Уимблдоне» была бы бесценным подарком для моей британской группы поддержки. А вообще, я очень хочу выиграть один из турниров «Большого шлема», но я думаю это цель для всех игроков. Еще мне хотелось бы выиграть US Open. В общем, или, «Уимблдон», или US Open.

– «Уимблдон» в этом году обзавелся крышей. Как вам это нововведение? Будет ли вам чего-то не хватать?
– Я люблю играть в зале. Есть крыша или нет крыши – это ничего не меняет в атмосфере. Не будет только солнца и ветра. Я учился играть на крытых кортах и надеюсь, что у меня будет в этом году хороший результат.

– Чья манера игры вам нравится больше – Федерера, Джоковича или Надаля?
– Мне нравится смотреть Санторо. Он сыграл сегодня свой последний матч. Я раньше видел его матчи по телевизору. Игра Санторо это всегда развлечение, это шоу. Приятно смотреть и на игру Надаля. Он играет потрясающе увлеченно, с мощными ударами и огромной энергией. Санторо он другой, он развлекает, а Надаля я люблю смотреть в игре против больших игроков.

– У вас большой арсенал ударов, больше чем у Санторо?
– Санторо время от времени может бить по мячу очень сильно. У Санторо же очень прицельная подача. И в целом он может делать на корте все, что захочет. Он принадлежит к числу великих игроков уже много лет. Но думаю, что в будущем в теннисе будут доминировать игроки проповедующие силовой теннис. Возможно, Санторо не хватает мощи, если бы у него это было, он бы выиграл «Большой шлем», в его арсенале есть удары на любой вкус.

– Так же как у вас?
– Нет, его арсенал отличается от моего. Он умеет выходить и играть у сетки так, как я никогда в своей жизни не играл.

– Игра на грунте подразумевает прежде всего выносливость и хорошую работу ног, а насколько важна концентрация?
– На грунте все эти аспекты важны. Но концентрация наверное действительно один из главных. На твердом покрытии можно быстро выиграть очко, особенно если хорошо идет подача. Но на грунте всегда нужно ждать возврата мяча, розыгрыши долгие, поэтому бывают периоды потери концентрации. Единственное, пожалуй у Надаля я не видел подобных сколько-нибудь заметных спадов, он играет хорошо с начала и до конца. У меня же бывали такие пассивные периоды, но я думаю, что на грунте мы всегда можем найти способ вернуться в игру. И концентрация на грунте, пожалуй, играет ключевую роль.

–Чтобы улучшить свою игру на грунте, что по-вашему вам нужно предпринять?
– Нужно выигрывать матчи. Я выиграл первый матч, это был хороший матч. Сегодня у меня также было хорошее начало, но, к сожалению, я позволил своему сопернику вернуться в игру. Мне бы хотелось сохранить тот уровень игры, который был в первом матче. Но не всегда это удается. Но что самое главное, это все-таки уметь выигрывать матчи даже тогда, когда ты не в самой лучшей форме.

http://www.sports.ru/tennis/10456767.html

 Posted: 29.05.09 15:44. Post subject: I can't bear to ..

I can't bear to watch Potito video nasty, admits Andy Murray
May 28 2009 Alix Ramsay

Andy Murray could barely breathe as he left the court, let alone say no thank you when someone thrust a DVD of his efforts into his hand.

The Scot had just completed 160 minutes of gruelling tennis in his second-round win over Potito Starace and the thought of watching it all over again filled him with dread.

The DVD would have been an epic, a tour de force of video. But of course Murray had already been in this movie - and he didn't fancy an action replay.

And the 22-year-old, who next faces Janko Tipsarevic tomorrow after edging through 6-3 2-6 7-5 6-4, said: "I didn't ask for the DVD.

"When you play a match on centre courts these days they give you a copy of the match on DVD. But I don't think I'm going to watch it back." перфекционист, не хочет ДВД еще раз посмотреть

Everything was going according to plan yesterday as Murray skipped to a one-set lead.

He was playing aggressively from the baseline, he was attacking the net and was in complete control. But then for a few minutes at the start of thesecond set Murray's grip loosened.

He dropped his serve and in the space of a couple of points world No.104 Starace was off and running.

Suddenly everything was against Murray. His movement came to a near standstill as he struggled to find his footing while his belief seemed to drain from him.

Casualty

Starace, meanwhile, was going up the gears and took the second set in 37 minutes amid a flurry of errors from his opponent.

The Italian was soon 5-1 up in the third and No.3 seed Murray looked set to become the first major casualty of the championship.

Murray said: "I was frustrated. I was playing very well and then let him back into the match. It's very slippery at the end of the sets when they brush it and I struggled a bit with my balance. He played a lot of good drop shots that I wasn't able to get to at first."

It was turning into X-rated stuff. But like all gripping tales the best was saved for the final reel.

With his back to the wall, Murray pulled off one flashing forehand to break Starace's serve. He roared out "Come on" and with it the world No.3 announced he was back in business.

Collecting the next five games, Scotland's finest secured the third set and got his nose in front in the fourth.

Murray said: "I managed to turn it around by playing a little bit more aggressively. There's a lot of things I've got to be pleased with today and some things I'll work on for the next match.

"My aim is to make the second week here and I need just one more win to do that."

 Posted: 30.05.09 21:40. Post subject: ПК после матча с Янк..

ПК после матча с Янко Т

"He's got a big game"

Q. When were you first aware that he had a physical problem?

When he called the trainer. I mean, I didn't see a whole lot. I didn't see much wrong with him in the first set, I didn't think. And then the first game of the second set he maybe slowed his serve down a little bit, but, you know, sometimes that happens a little bit when you have the adrenaline of a tight first setter. Then sometimes you can start a little bit slow in the next set. But I didn't know until the trainer.

Q. Did that break your confidence a bit, that delay after the first game?

Didn't break my confidence.

Q. Sorry, concentration.

I mean, I hit one bad shot. I shanked a slice into the middle of the net. I'd hit like a great angled backhand that maybe I wasn't expecting him to get. That was the only reason I got broken. It was very difficult to see around that time, as well, with the shadow. It was kind of covering half the court. that was tough. It's one of those things that can be tough sometimes when you don't know how bad someone's problem is or if they're going to come out firing. Sometimes you maybe make a few mistakes.

Q. You're becoming a bit of a specialist of getting out of 1 5, 2 5. Do you just have self belief that no matter what the score says you can get out of it now?

Well, you just fight and try and try and come back. That's the one thing on clay. It's much easier to come back, I guess. You get into more rallies and it's tough to just sort of serve well and win the set comfortably. It's one of the things, talking with Alex and Miles about, is not to panic if you go behind. Because one break on this court is, it's nothing. Obviously two is a little bit tougher, but you can always find ways to come back. да-да, какая ерунда - брейк, а двойной - чуть-чуть хуже

Q. In the second week of the French Open, yet another milestone for you. How do you feel about having done that?

It's good. I'll obviously try and do better now. I'll look back on what I've done at the end of the tournament. I'd love to go further and try and, you know, go very deep into the tournament. I'm playing well enough, just have to keep the consistency and, you know, I can win more matches. It's been a good start, the first week. It hasn't been physically too demanding, and now I feel good going into next week.

Q. Cilic has pretty much brushed aside his opponents to date. How dangerous do you think he'll be?

He's a very good player, obviously. He's young. He goes for his shots. And like I said start the week, the courts are fast. Philippe Chatrier is the slowest of the courts I've played on. There is a good chance we might play on there. No, he plays well. He's got a big game, and he's dangerous if he's confident, you know. But I beat him the times we've played on the tour. I'll take that into the match.

Q. Can you just think ahead for a second, Shanghai, not as a Masters Cup, but as a Masters. Do you think it's going to be a different kind of a tournament to play it as just a regular Masters compared to what you experienced last year?

Compared with The Masters Cup?

Q. With 8 guys versus 48 or whatever it's going to be.

Yeah, obviously it's going to be different. I mean, The Masters Cup I mean, obviously to win the Masters Cup is a big achievement. But a lot of the guys view, I think, getting there as being, you know, sort of a sign of them having a great year. Whereas now it's a Masters Series it's not the same. Different format. It's more guys playing and it comes a lot earlier in the year, so guys will be going there a lot fresher than, you know, maybe they have done in the past. I'm sure you won't have guys pulling out like has happened in the past.

Q. Do you think it's one you could, with a special ambience, it's one you could get used to? Like a Monte Carlo has a certain look, and the Cincinnatis, do you think it's going to have its own identity pretty quickly?

I'm sure it will. It's good to have tennis tournaments all over the world. I think I played there last year. The crowds were great. It's a huge, huge stadium. They obviously enjoy their tennis. For me, obviously the history makes tournaments special, as well. I think players enjoy tournaments when they're busy, a lot of people around. You get looked after well. When I went over last year, the crowds were great, and we got looked after very well. So I'm sure we'll enjoy it.

 Posted: 31.05.09 09:59. Post subject: Энди на обложке вчер..

Энди на обложке вчерашнего Телеграф

 Posted: 01.06.09 00:45. Post subject: "Gonzo will be t..

"Gonzo will be tough"
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Q. What are your thoughts after that match?

I thought it was good. Played well. Played maybe two bad service games, but you're always going to have acouple of moments like that in five‑set matches. I came through all the tough situations well. I played a solid tie-break, and I was obviously very happy to win in straight sets, because he's been playing very well.

Q. What did you feel was the key, especially at the end of that second set?

Oh, I kept a good length, you know. It was windy on the court. Watched a little bit of Nadal/Soderling. It's tough to keep the ball deep, and I was able to do that in the tie-break. And he made some mistakes, which happens sometimes.

You know, for him, that set was more important than for me. If he went down two sets it's going to be tough for him to come back. He maybe overpressed a little bit. But I kept a good length and served well.

Q. How do you feel about your game on clay, in general? Do you think that's the best you've everplayed on clay?

I'm playing well, yeah. I mean, you don't get to the quarters of the French not playing good clay court tennis. This clay court season has been good. I made semis in Monte‑Carlo and the quarters in Madrid, and now the quarters here at least.

So, you know, it's been much better than in previous years. I try and keep improving.

Q. With Novak out and Rafa struggling and Roger dropping the odd set, do you think this tournament is a bit more open than perhaps people thought originally?

Well, I mean, Novak is the only one that's lost. I think he obviously didn't play the best yesterday, and that's what happens in Slams.

Each time Fed's been struggling a little bit, he's come back well. Rafa, I'd be surprised if he didn't come back and win that match.

So, I don't think it is necessarily makes it more open. You still have the top two players in the world, or three, still in. You know, guys like Verdasco, Davydenko, are still all tough players that are in the tournament.

Q. What do you think about the anti-drug system control? Rafa had the criticism about that. What do you think about? Youlike? Dislike? Disagree, too?

I said at the time that, I never think about the drug testing every day. Not once since I've been here have I thought about being drug tested, In the morning before matches or where I need to be for an hour.

It's just not somethingthat you ever think about. I guess more so if you feel like you're hiding something, then maybe every morning you wake-up hoping no one comes.

I guess it's something we've got to deal with, but I don't think that it's necessary with so many tournaments in the year we play. I'd rather get tested at every single tournament in the year and then three or four times during the off‑season, rather than have to make sure you're in a certain place for one hour a day.

Because it's very easy to not to remember it. I don't see why we should have to think about that when we have rest weeks. I think, we should be able to have a little bit more of a normal life, I guess.

Q. What do you think about Fernando GonzЁўlez, your next round?

Very tough. He's won all of his matches very easy so far. He made semis in Rome. He's got a huge forehand. You know, serves well. He loves playing on clay. He's going to be a very difficult match. I have to play well.

Q. You've practiced against him a couple of times I think this week. Have you learned anything from that?

No, I've watched him play a lot, and I think in practice you don't necessarily play against ‑‑ it's not the same as playing against him in matches.

You know, he's very unpredictable, which makes it tough to play against him. I have to play a very consistent match and keep the ball deep. You don't want to leave the ball in the middle of the court against him.

Q. Is there a sense of pride about being the third British man to get tothe quarter-finals here? Does that have a special meaning for you?

Every time you sort of do something like that, yeah, it's nice. You know, Tim obviously made the semis here, so it would be nice to try and match that.

But, more I guess for myself I always felt I could play well on clay. But I just needed a bit of time to find my game.

Obviously the results have got better because I've played more matches on it. That's nice, but I'll try and go further.

 Posted: 01.06.09 13:41. Post subject: Andy Murray sweeps a..

Andy Murray sweeps aside Mario Cilic to reach French Open quarter-finals
Andy Murray set up a French Open quarter-final clash with Fernando Gonzalez after producing a superb display to sweep aside Marin Cilic in straight sets today.

Cilic, the 13th seed, came into the match having not lost a set all tournament but third seed Murray was in a different league to the Croat's previous opponents, posting a solid 7-5 7-6 (7/4) 6-1 victory in two hours and 31 minutes on Suzanne Lenglen court.

The Scot was already having his best-ever Roland Garros but he is on the verge of something sensational now.

He is only the third Briton to have made the last eight here in the Open era, after Roger Taylor and Tim Henman, and he has now won four straight matches on clay for the first time.

Murray, who made just 14 unforced errors all match, came into it armed with the knowledge he had not lost to the Cilic as a senior.

And they started in scorching conditions, trading early breaks in the first set. But in the 11th game, Murray grabbed what proved to be the decisive third break - at the second time of asking - when Cilic went long with a backhand.

Serving 6-5 ahead, Murray earned two set points and took the second with an unreturnable serve. Murray, by that stage, had only hit five winners as opposed to Cilic's 17 but the gutsy Scot was proving to be far more consistent on both wings.

He broke first in the second set too, showing familiar battling qualities as he got to a Cilic backhand and returned with interest, his opponent failing to make the volley at the net.

The Briton was playing with confidence and his error count was low, with his sometimes cautious approach working while Cilic continued to make the unforced errors.

Murray looked well in control when 4-2 ahead but was broken in game eight after hooking a backhand wide at the end of a long rally.

Murray wasted break points in games nine and 11, and served to stay in the set twice to force a tie-break.

He claimed the early mini-break and shot 6-2 ahead. Cilic came back to 6-4, but on the Scot's third set point, the Croat went wide with a forehand and Murray was on the brink of the quarter-finals.

He broke in the second game of the third set and after Murray had gone 3-0 up, Cilic sent for the trainer, who applied treatment on the player's left thigh.

Cilic had injured himself running back in a vain attempt to retrieve a Murray lob. Murray would later be broken but he had no problems clinching the match, at the second time of asking.

 Posted: 02.06.09 12:17. Post subject: не знаю видели ли вы..

не знаю видели ли вы это:
Great Expectations

 Posted: 03.06.09 00:22. Post subject: F. GONZБLEZ/A. Murra..

F. GONZБLEZ/A. Murray

6‑3, 3‑6, 6‑0, 6‑4

An interview with:

ANDY MURRAY

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. It seemed to go pretty well at the start, and then it all went to hellafter the start of the third set, particularly that third set.

ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, he played a perfect third set. But, you know, I had a long game on my serve. Maybe if I had won that maybe it would have been a bit different.

I had the momentum there, and I didn't go with it. I mean, I've got to give a lot of credit to him. I played against him before and he hits the ball hard, but today he washitting it huge.

And, you know, it's quite easy sort ofsitting to the side to sort of look and think, you know, oh, you could have done this; you could have done that. The guy is hitting ball so hard. I mean, noone's hit the ball that big.

You know, if that happens, sometimes you've got to say, Too good. But, you know, there's a couple of things, like I said, start of the third set I was disappointed with. I had a few chances there to hold serve and didn't take them, and then at the end of the match I played a poor, poor game and when I broke back, which is not like me.

Because I got myself back into the match there and played four bad points. It was a good week, couple of weeks.

Q. What was it in particular that surprised you about him?

ANDY MURRAY: Nothing surprised me. I mean, you know how the guy plays. I've watched a lot of his matches. He's been around a long time. Well, you can ask him when he comes up. I thought he hit his forehand great. He made very few errors off it.

Maybe I hit a few too many balls to his forehand. But, you know, his one‑two punch off his serve and the forehand today was pretty impressive.

Q. You knew you were going to have to deal with that forehand. Did you have any specific tactic to try andevade it or play it or play the backhand all the time? What was your mindset going in?

ANDY MURRAY: No, I mean, it's stuff that you can try anddo. I mean, you can hit the ball shortto his forehand side, because normally he's waiting on the backhand side to runaround and hit it.

I mean, if you look atsome of the shots he's hit, he's hitting forehands from like a meter wideof the tram line on some points and hitting winners off them.

Even if you try to hit a ball to hisbackhand, then he makes his sort of mind up that actually I want to hit aforehand on this shot, and he runs around and spanks a winner. You can't do a whole lot with it.

You know, there's obviously thingsthat you try to do to help. But againstall the good players, they can sometimes come up with great shots.

Q. Do you think you were beaten by a better clay‑court player today, or just abetter player on the day?

ANDY MURRAY: Um, I mean, his results on clay have been alot better than mine. He has moreexperience and won tournaments on it. Yeah, I guess he's a better clay‑court player.

But I still think Ihad my chances and didn't take them, and he came up with some big shotswhen he needed to. That's why he won,and he deserved to.

Q. Can you just give us your verdict on the tournament as a whole? Clay court season?

ANDY MURRAY: It's been very good for me, a lot better than previous years. I stayed injury‑free. Physically I felt good on the court. I thought I moved better. You know, I had good results.

I mean, it's not like,you know, the Nadal results or whatever. But, you know, next year I can improve a round or so each tournament,or, you know, not have one early loss and consistently getting to the end ofthe tournaments. That would be good.

I'm happy with the way the clay court seasonwent. It could have been a lot worse,that's for sure.

Q. Your defense against him was really good the first two sets, and you got to a lot ofhis forehands. Does it wear you downwhen he keeps coming up, and is that the biggest forehand in tennis? Is it just relentless?

ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, his forehand is the biggest. I mean ‑‑ yeah, I think it is. I mean he, yeah, can hit winners from anywhere on the court. That's why it's dangerous. Some guys can hit huge forehands when they're in the middle the court. Some guys hit huge forehand returns.

But he can hit huge forehand returns. He hits it great on the run. He can hit his forehand from anywhere on the court. That's why it's very dangerous.

But, you know, it's not like ‑‑ it didn't wear me down. Physically there wasn't any issues there. I just got myself back into the match in the fourth set and didn't quite take my opportunities when I had them.

You know, I didn't hit my backhandparticularly well today, which is normally one of my best shots.

Q. Everyone's talking about what an open tournament it is now. But another guy, South American that we'restill not hearing much about is Del Potro. Do you think he is a legitimate threat to win this tournament?

ANDY MURRAY: Um, yeah, I mean, he's not got that muchexperience in the end of Slams, but he's obviously confident. He's playing well. He's got a very poor record againstFederer. I don't think he's ever won aset against him.

May be a huge struggleif he plays Roger. Roger struggled in alot of his matches here, as well. He'sprobably feeling, you know, the pressure of this being his chance to win theFrench.

Yeah, anything can happen. I think that's what's great about Slams. It has been slightly predictable the last fewyears, but I think tennis this year has seen a big change.

Q. Youwere relatively demonstrative emotionally at times. Do you feel like there were any moments whenyou were not as much emotionally in control as you would want to be? And when were those moments?

ANDY MURRAY: No, I always felt like I was in control of myemotions. But sometimes, you know, atthe beginning of the second set ‑‑ sorry, beginning of the third set, youknow, I didn't really say a whole lot.

Then I tried to firemyself up early in the beginning of the fourth. Like I say, I managed to start playing better, but I don't think it was anything to do with emotions why ‑‑ or whether I would have won or lost the match.

That's something that hasn't been anyissue. It's all for the last year or so.

Q. Usually a Brit would be the first to ask a question about Wimbledon, but I'm just wondering, when you go there after you play on clay, what's your impression when you change from the grass to here?

ANDY MURRAY: Normally I have a lot longer to prepare on that than I had this year, so I might find that a little bit tougher, you know,at Queen's or what not.

But, no, the thing that's different is just the height that the ball bounces at is the main thing, obviously, here. You know, some of thekick serves and stuff are getting up like way, way, way, way above your head.

On grass, it's always coming through nice and low. It's kind a sore on the hamstrings, you know, the first few days. I don't know, it's just something you ‑‑ you have to hit it ‑‑well, you don't have to, but I try and hit a flatter ball, obviously, on grass.

That's the one big change. You don't hit a whole lot of flat shots on the clay.

Q. Good clay court season like this, does this set you up, give you more momentum goinginto the grass court season than perhaps you had before?

ANDY MURRAY: Well, I mean the year as a whole has been byfar up to this stage my best so far. Youknow, I've won a lot of matches, a lot more matches on clay this year than I hadin the past probably ‑‑ I probably won double the amount of matches that I hadwon in my life on clay before this stretch.

Yeah, I don't feel like I 'm going to be rusty at all going into the grass, because obviously I played alot and still feel confident. It's not like a match like this is going to, you know, I'm going to sort of get downabout it or anything.

I'll just go and improve and work on somethings the next week or so, and hopefully be playing well on the grass.

Q. Were you aware that you could become No. 2 in the world in this tournament?

ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I knew ‑‑ I didn't know the exact in sand outs of how I would have got there. You know, I know if I won the tournament I would have gone to 2, and that was the one thing you try and focus on.

You know, it's sometimes quite easy to sort of wait for guys to lose and stop focusing on your own matches. You know, I was just trying to win my own matches. You know, I had the chance, but obviously not now.

 Posted: 03.06.09 12:41. Post subject: Энди Мюррей: «Грунто..

Энди Мюррей: «Грунтовым сезоном я доволен, могло быть и хуже»
Третья ракетка мира британец Энди Мюррей, уступивший в четвертьфинале «Ролан Гаррос» чилийцу Фернандо Гонсалесу со счетом 3:6, 6:3, 0:6, 4:6, прокомментировал матч и свой грунтовый сезон.

«Гонсалес сыграл отличный третий сет. Но, знаете, сначала был долгий гейм на моей подаче. Если бы я его выиграл, все, возможно, было бы по-другому. У меня был момент, но я им не воспользовался. Но надо отдать ему должное. Я играл против него раньше, он всегда бьет сильно, но сегодня он бил очень сильно.

Знаете, легко сидеть, смотреть со стороны и думать: «Ты мог сделать то, ты мог сделать это». Но все же было несколько вещей в начале третьего сета, которые меня разочаровали. У меня были возможности удержать свою подачу.

Я слишком много бил ему под форхенд, который сегодня был впечатляющим. Его результаты на грунте вообще гораздо лучше моих. У него больше опыта, он выигрывал на грунте турниры. Но я думаю, что у меня были шансы. И я ими не воспользовался. А ему в нужный момент удались отличные удары. Поэтому он выиграл, и он это заслужил.

В этом году у меня очень хороший грунтовый сезон, гораздо лучше, чем предыдущие. Во-первых, у меня не было травм. Физически я отлично чувствовал себя на корте, я двигался гораздо лучше. И у меня были хорошие результаты. К следующему году я могу продвинуться еще на круг или два в каждом турнире, не вылетать в первых раундах и стабильно доходить до поздних стадий. Это было бы хорошо. Так что, грунтовым сезоном я доволен, могло быть и хуже», – приводит слова теннисиста официальный сайт турнира.

 Posted: 04.06.09 18:53. Post subject: Tennis: Murray falls..

Tennis: Murray falls but holds his head high

03 June 2009
By STEVE DOUGLAS
ANDY MURRAY looked back fondly on a breakthrough clay-court campaign after seeing his French Open dreams perish at the quarter-final stage.

The world No.3 was bidding to become only the second British man in the Open era, after Tim Henman, to reach the last four at Roland Garros but he ran out of steam in losing 6-3, 3-6, 6-0, 6-4 to big-hitting Fernando Gonzalez, the 12th seed.

Turray has come on leaps and bounds on the dirt over the past three months and he refused to be downcast after his defeat in only his third grand-slam quarter-final.

"It's been a very good one (clay season) for me, a lot better than previous years," said the 22-year-old.

"It's not like after a match like this I'm going to get down about it.

"I've won a lot of matches, probably double the amount of matches that I had won in my life on clay before this stretch.

"I'll just go and improve and work on some things in the next week or so, and hopefully play well on grass."

Murray, the third seed, saw his half of the draw at Roland Garros open up as a result of top seed and reigning champion Rafael Nadal's shock defeat to Robin Soderling on Sunday.

But he could not capitalise, Gonzalez's greater clay-court nous coming through in the end yesterday on Philippe Chatrier court.

The Chilean's booming forehand was the difference. He hit 45 winners over the four sets, some of them coming from outrageous angles that left Murray chasing shadows at times.

The Dunblane player admitted he was left punch-drunk by his practice partner's renowned weapon.

"No-one's hit the ball that big. If that happens, sometimes you've got to say, 'too good'," said the Scot.

"If you look at some of the shots he's hit, he's hitting forehands from a metre wide of the tramlines on some points – and hitting winners off them.

"Even if you try to hit a ball to his backhand, he runs around and spanks a winner. You can't do a whole lot about that."

Soderling, the 23rd seed, will play Gonzalez in the semi-finals after the Swede's straight-sets win over Nikolay Davydenko.

Second seed Roger Federer will today resume his bid to claim his first Roland Garros title when he takes on Gael Monfils in the quarter-finals. The winner of that match will play either Juan Martin del Potro or Tommy Robredo in the second semi-final.

 Posted: 07.06.09 10:46. Post subject: Andy Murray intervie..

Andy Murray interview: Net gains
07 June 2009
By Catherine Deveney

It has to be admitted that the press are sometimes guilty of hanging make-do personalities round celebrities' necks like dead albatrosses: they carry the weight everywhere and the smell lingers even if they manage to shake the corpse off.
Scottish tennis star Andy Murray's albatross has been a kind of tennis pro version of Harry Enfield's Kevin the teenager: a surly, stroppy kid who stomped round court shouting at referees. The grungy chic style of dress didn't help, what with shorts drooping to his knees, oversize T-shirts drowning his rangy frame, and back to front baseball caps pressing down on unruly curls. Even at neat little short-back-and-sides Wimbledon. But Murray's not even a teenager any more so what's he like really?

In Avenue George V, just off the Champs Elysйes, a crowd has gathered in the dry dusty heat of the afternoon outside Paris's exclusive Four Seasons hotel. People keep asking who owns this extensive luggage being loaded into waiting cars blocking the street – obviously everyone's waiting without knowing why – but je ne sais pas and my schoolgirl French gives up when one man launches into animated explanation. Not Murray anyway, who is staying in the same block but round the corner as he prepares for the French Open. I guess he'd have the money for the Four Seasons but it's a bit flash. His less famous hotel charges eight euros for a small coffee with a 'free' two-bite (one if no-one's looking) biscuit, so safe to say our boy's not exactly slumming it. But it seems fitting when, during conversation, Murray defends Gordon Brown. Both are reputedly dour. Prudent. Very Scottish. Neither seems likely to top the YouTube smile poll.

"I'm not too into politics," Murray says. (No chance of him becoming an MP – he's reputed never to travel first class.) "It was just that I met him and everything I spoke to him about, he was so nice. Very polite, very clever, and he obviously worked incredibly hard. All you read about is how he does such a bad job. He can't win. Everyone just focuses on the negative."

Always fascinating to see whether a person's public image fits like a glove or wrinkles uncomfortably. Murray's now 22, ranked world No 3 behind Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, and what he actually transmits in conversation is not surliness at all but a very focused politeness. Frankly, I think he's bored by interviews – his interests are all active and he hates reading – but he listens to each question with great concentration and then tries to kill any pace in it before lobbing the answer over your head to the baseline. He's very cautious which is interesting in a winner. But perhaps 'controlled' is a better word.

So controlled that in the run-up to the interview he actually asks his PR to arrange copy approval. (Well he can ask.) It's a highly unusual request that not even wily old stalwarts of the entertainment industry, like Tom Jones or Petula Clark, make. What's gone wrong that a 22-year-old tennis player feels the need? His predecessor as British No 1, Tim Henman, had that clean cut, take-home-to-mum look that made him everybody's darling. Murray is more quirky, more challenging, less easy, and he's paid a price for an undercurrent of dry humour, particularly that joke about supporting anyone but England in the World Cup.

Murray looks slightly taken aback when asked why he wanted copy approval. Does he always need to be in control? No, he says uneasily. "The Scotland England thing," he continues in explanation, "I was sitting doing an interview for TV with a guy and he asked me, will you be supporting Scotland in the World Cup, ha, ha – jokingly – knowing Scotland weren't in the World Cup. And then he asked who I would be supporting and I said anyone except England – ha, ha." The good-natured exchange became blown up as some anti-English outburst. "You have to be careful," says Murray.

Caution, control, discipline … they can be as important as talent and flamboyance. In the end, disappointment for Murray comes in the quarter finals of the French Open but clay is not his surface and he is more confident on grass. After years of over hyped expectations, perhaps this year is the first that Murray really is a contender for next month's Wimbledon. He's had a meteoric year getting to No 3. How much higher can he go?

The interesting thing about the tennis-playing Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, and the Murray brothers (Andy's older brother Jamie is a Wimbledon doubles champion), is the question it begs: are great players born or created? "Created," insists Murray. "I don't think you are born to do anything. You can have talent but it takes hard work and sacrifice and discipline to get to that level and I think that's what any of the best tennis players say if you ask them – hard work is the difference. There are so many good juniors who haven't made it to seniors, and it's down to motivation and work ethic. The guys at the top of the game are the ones who work the hardest."

Personality as much as talent is critical in champions. Jamie has the reputation of being more sociable and less driven than his brother and once said he didn't have his rage. Does it feel like rage inside Andy? "No, I don't think it's inner rage that guides you to be the best. It's not something where you can't control your emotions. It's having the drive to be the best you can be." So is he a better player than Jamie or just a different player? Perhaps the question is slightly mean because the rankings are perfectly clear – but I ask it wondering if Murray will feel any reticence about asserting himself over his brother. "No, I'm better for sure," he says instantly. His mother, Judy, is on record saying Andy always had incredible levels of self belief.

Jamie was better than him when they were younger, acknowledges Andy, which makes you wonder how important being the second son was in developing his talents. Some psychologists argue birth order is important in determining siblings' personalities and certainly younger brothers sometimes feel the need to prove themselves against the old king, while older ones want to squash the young pretender. "It was good motivation for me to keep getting better," Murray admits.

The brothers grew up in Dunblane where there was really no-one else to play against. They only had each other. But their competitive relationship changed as they got older. "Once you get to 15 or 16 there's no jealousy. Jamie went to train in Paris and I went to train in Barcelona and we were travelling to different tournaments and saw very little of each other. When you get separated, you start being more supportive. I was more emotional when Jamie won his first tournament than when I won. I won singles and he won doubles straight after. I'm Jamie's number one fan and always will be."

Just as the Williams sisters' father was key in their development as players, the Murray brothers' mother, Judy, a former player and Scottish coach, was instrumental in theirs, although she stopped working with her sons when they were 11 or 12. "Mum was always there to support us but it wasn't like she needed to coach us. She let go which I think was important." Everyone knows about Judy's influence. But what about his dad's? "I think for tennis, mum was important but my brother and I as people … my dad has to take a lot of credit. I'm sure he's happy with the way we have handled ourselves. I'd chat to my mum about tennis, and with my dad I'd play golf and football. He's very relaxed but if he had to, he disciplined me and Jamie. No swearing and stuff. He was a great parent, very laid back, but looked after us and made sure we weren't doing anything silly."

His parents divorced but his dad still shared their upbringing. "It's not the nicest thing anyone has to deal with and I'm sure it would have affected us in some way but me and Jamie were very young when it happened. It's hard to know how much of a difference it makes, but it wasn't something that scarred me, I wouldn't say." Neither did being caught up in the Dunblane massacre. Commentators sometimes suggest it influenced him as a person and player, but almost as interesting as what happened to him that day is the fact he's always been so reluctant to talk about it. Why is that? "It's not one of those things that many people like to talk about but the thing is as well that I don't really remember. I was seven years old at the time, so it's not like I understood what was happening. You can't grasp things like that." He doesn't associate that day with fear? "No. Looking back it's terrible, but not many people can remember what happened at that age. I was so young I couldn't understand what a big deal it was. If it happened now I would be devastated, but I can't remember."

He says he wasn't much of a scholar and childhood was crammed with every possible sport. It gave him a sense of pride, a way to define himself. He loved being able to bring a trophy back to school. "It wasn't showing off. It was just nice to have something you had achieved." Say what you like about taking part being the important thing. It's the winning Murray always loved.

It was he who chose Barcelona to train. "I went to London and trained there for a week and didn't enjoy it. When you work with the national team you spend your whole time playing with the best players of your age in Britain and there's a lot of sort of jealousy. There's too much negativity. You are travelling together as a team and a lot of the guys are wanting each other to lose. You also don't get the opportunity as much to practise with guys who are older than you. When I went to Barcelona at 15 I was getting to train with guys who were 20, 21 years old and ranked 200 in the world, which is much better than training with the No 1 in the under-16s in Britain."

Even back then, Murray was independent and emotionally resilient. "I never got homesick. You just have to learn to look after yourself a bit. I had to learn a new culture and make new friends and be on my own a bit. You don't have people there to stick up for you. It was the best preparation for my career because I just became more independent and took more responsibility for what I did."

This time last year, it was said Murray had brilliance but not yet strength or consistency. After such a successful year, has he proved himself? "I don't necessarily feel I have to prove it. I kind of wanted to do it for myself and I guess the guys I worked with." But if he never rises above No 3, will that be failure? "No, no. Getting to number three in anything you do is great and I've got the two best players of all time in front of me. If I don't achieve anything else, it won't be through lack of trying."

There is a tendency to declare each new champion the greatest ever. It happened with Borg, with McEnroe, with Sampras, and now with Federer and Nadal. But Federer and Nadal are undoubtedly special and Murray has beaten both of them – just not when it mattered in a Grand Slam. There's a mental leap required there, he agrees. But no, he doesn't feel fear on court. "You get nervous. Anyone who says they don't is lying, but it's not fear." Personally, he finds Nadal the tougher challenge. "I think Nadal is the best because of the way he competes. Federer is obviously unbelievably talented and has all the shots, but Nadal wants to win every single point. He is No 1 in the world right now, but he still practises so hard and gives 110 per cent."

Murray is on the way up with everything to gain and that's when you're freest. Federer is already the old guard with everything to lose. He dominated tennis for four years, seeming to relish his position as he turned up in his fancy, handmade champion's jackets at Wimbledon. Young Turks tend to have more ambition, more ruthlessness. Interesting, then, to know how much sympathy Murray felt when Federer broke down in tears earlier this year after losing the Australian Open to Nadal. (He had already lost the previous Wimbledon to his Spanish rival.) Federer seemed humiliated by defeat while Nadal responded with the trademark humility he displays off court but certainly not on it.

Murray hesitates. He would prefer – as he's sure Federer would – that it hadn't happened. "It's not that it shows a weakness, it's just that it shows something has really got to you. I guess that's why you want to keep your emotions in check as much as possible. After that, everyone started saying, is he starting to lose it a little bit? Has Nadal got his number? It wasn't the worst thing that can happen on court because it showed he obviously cares a lot about what he's doing but I think it showed frustration as well. He's very close to equalling Sampras's record of Grand Slams and I'm sure that was part of it." The three men at the top, Murray thinks, are all quite different personalities.

Years ago, when the teenage Murray was just emerging, a sports journalist told me if I ever got an interview with him I should be nice to him. He was basically a good kid but there was a lazy shorthand used to represent him. In the run-up to the interview, I wondered if his head had swollen in the intervening years. Securing an interview with Osama bin Laden would have been easier. Arriving in Paris, the exact time and location for that day's interview still hadn't been confirmed. But then Murray had loped in amiably and said, with that particular relish young guys have when they talk about food conquests, that he'd managed to snaffle two plates of pasta, and I saw what my colleague meant. The watchful eyes, the guarded unease … there's a sense of someone simply trying to push back the storm around him and retain something of himself.

If there's control, there's also drive. The gruelling tennis year starts early in January, with the last tournament at the end of November. Is it, perhaps, an indication of the stresses involved that a few drugs cases have hit the tennis headlines? Performance enhancing drugs are not a problem, Murray believes, though the rules are so stringent people sometimes get caught out. One tennis player who simply forgot to renew a form for an asthma inhaler he's used his entire career failed a test when he wasn't doing anything wrong.

But both Roger Gasquet and Martina Hingis have been caught up in cocaine scandals. "I think drug taking is terrible and I would never want anyone close to me in my family to do it," says Murray carefully. "I can't talk for anyone else but you have a responsibility, because you are in the public eye and the media are around, not to do those sorts of things …. falling out of nightclubs at two and three in the morning. There's obviously a lot of pressure and guys need to let their hair down sometimes, because you put such a lot of work into preparing for tournaments that when they're finished you just want to relax and live a kind of normal life. Unfortunately, sometimes guys take it too far."

Murray has had a long-term relationship with girlfriend Kim Sears, but how hard is it to maintain that? "I find it very easy. I think it would be harder if I spent my whole time at home. Like I said earlier about my brother, if I spent two or three months away from him, when I did spend time with him, it was great. If I spent three months with Jamie from today until after Wimbledon, 100 per cent we would be arguing by the end of it. I just think if you spend time apart, the time you do spend together is quality time. You don't spend it bickering and whingeing about stuff and youtry hard to make it work. I see Kim a lot. But if I was at home and we had to see each other every single day you'd just have more arguments and more chance for things to go wrong."

Perhaps not the most romantic thing he could say but pragmatic. Anyway, what he lacks in the grand gesture he makes up for with constancy. "I like to think I'm quite a loyal person and I don't like partying and what not. It's been three and a half years with Kim and that's quite a long time for someone my age. I like being in a relationship. I think that's kind of how I function best."

There will, of course, be the usual furore over Wimbledon next month when Murray will be forgiven for his supposed slight of the English and clasped to the nation's bosom, heaving with hope that he will be the first British male winner since Fred Perry in 1936. People assume Wimbledon is the Grand Slam he really wants. Is it different from the others? "Yeah. There's a big difference just purely because it's at home and you have this huge support there." But truthfully he'd take any Grand Slam – just as soon as he can nudge Nadal and Federer out of the way.

If Murray ever becomes No 1, checks in to the Four Seasons, the most important thing in his own book will be not to change. Ask him to define himself without referring to tennis and he says he just wants to be close to family and friends. "Tennis is a huge part of my life, but if I couldn't play tennis again I hope I would still enjoy my life with the people I have around me." He wants normality. "Tennis," he says, "is not the most important thing."

http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/spectrum/Andy-Murray-interview-Net-gains.5339531.jp