hirop

pumped, no problem. hopefully del potro is knackered after today's match, good chance of a federer \ murray final if murray can move del potro about.

djokovic was a well lucky boy there, needs to start taking some bananas on court with him, beginning to make a habit of the near full body collapse mid match.

Troicki was awful, first serve % about 14% in the first set. I predict Murray turns over Verdasco, factors are.... he owes him one, it's not the 2nd week of a two-week tourney, and it's not best of 5. Verdasco's best chance is if Miami turns into a sauna during the match (....or is a bit windy....). Most enjoyable performance today was Tsonga, his 2nd and 3rd sets against Simon were awesome. Up against Djorkovic next, who has a 0-5 record against JWT, which is good for the 3rd place in ranking points hunt for Murray.

I'm sure Murray hates losing, and losing badly like he did yesterday. But no way can it be said he chucked it. I like his attitude, it was a great week for him, he played above his seeding, pumped federer (again) and lost to the best player in the world in the final of a ATP1000 event (in most ridiculous conditions I've ever seen Tennis played in). He can still be a brat on the court when it goes against him, but he seems to step back from it after the match and keep his responses reasonable, not to elated when he wins, not killing himself when he loses. Murray learns really quickly. He might get pumped by Nadal again soon, but it won't be by playing like that in those conditions. Hopefully these two will go at again in Miami next week in normal conditions so that Murray can get at Nadal's second serve. Nadal murdered him at wimbledon when his first serve and returning deserted him, but next time out at the us open he put it all together and one quite comfortably. It's not men and boys stuff anymore, it's just about putting it together when it matters.

well done, win's a win at the end of the day.

it was one of those Murray displays that totally baffles, had that lethargic and miss-timing everything performance going on. A bit like how he played against nadal at wimbledon. But even so, he was better than that display and came really close to winning. The game before he lost his serve in the 5th set he put verdasco under so much pressure, the game lasted about 10-15 minutes with plenty of deuces. I think he shot his bolt in that game, and with verdasco serving so well just couldn't convert the pressure and take the break. he was toast on his service game after that, clearly knackered and it was all over at that point. I think that was a bit of inexperience from him, but not really a lot you can do about that, he has to go for the break if he sniffs it. Verdasco's serving was unreal, much like Murray himself, if he gets 75/80% first serves, your opponent ain't going to break you. Verdasco was getting something like 90% first servers in the last 2 sets... I thought Nadal in the final showed how smart a player he can be. In the 5th set once he got up a break, he didn't give a shit how Federer served and was happy to play the games, not bust himself looking for the second break and bring it home on his own serve. I know he has this rep of being a tiger and fighting for every point, but when he needs to, like in a slam final, he plays real real smart tennis. Federer might think he had the momentum coming back to 2-2 in sets, but Nadal had him in the 5th, and Nadal new it. Same thing, Federer was so busy trying to pummel him in the 4th set, Nadal had the energy when it mattered in the 5th. Christ, just realised I officially prefer tennis over the spl (though it's still behind proper football, theskillful stuff from top rate players)