Federer v Murray

[GhostOfDixie]

Give over you pair Silly sods.

I guess we've been spoilt a little by the finals between Nadal and Federer. They nearly always evolved into 5 set epics stretching out over 5 hours. Most finals before this era weren't like that. I remember one match at Wimbledon Pete Sampras wiped the floor with Agassi. It happens. No doubt Murray will look at why he's lost two finals to a player he's beaten regularly on the tour and attempt to improve whatever is causing him to do so.

I don't think we need to assign labels to him like we did with Tim Henman, a player that was considerably better than many gave him credit for.

Bottle mate, it's all it is. Having the mental toughness to cope.

 

[NeoNaoNeo]

Give over you pair Silly sods.

I guess we've been spoilt a little by the finals between Nadal and Federer. They nearly always evolved into 5 set epics stretching out over 5 hours. Most finals before this era weren't like that. I remember one match at Wimbledon Pete Sampras wiped the floor with Agassi. It happens. No doubt Murray will look at why he's lost two finals to a player he's beaten regularly on the tour and attempt to improve whatever is causing him to do so.

I don't think we need to assign labels to him like we did with Tim Henman, a player that was considerably better than many gave him credit for.

Obviously Murray has the game to win Slams. He's shown that by getting to the finals, and he's shown that in his tour matches. Both times he's come up against Federer playing well when he himself hasn't had a good day. I thought Federer would win in straight sets today because I still think Murray lacks the mental toughness to win a slam final. He's too nervous and ends up playing far too passively. Today he only gave it a go in the third, and even then he never took his chances.

However, it's no indictment on his tennis ability. He's right up there with the best of them, and on his day he is easily capable of trouncing anyone out there. It'll happen eventually, I'm of no doubt.

 

[Goat]

Hold my coat someone. That Neo and Ghost are getting slammed.

 

[GhostOfDixie]

Hold my coat someone. That Neo and Ghost are getting slammed.

Don't bother mate - not arsed. Not going to put him on ignore because it ruins the flow of the threads, but he can do one. Clearly hasn't got a good memory or the decency to be honest.

Means nothing to me.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Here's one for the stattos out there. How many players have lost their first grand slam final and gone on to win one?

Federer won his first. Nadal won his first. Djokovic won his first. Del Potro his first. Roddick his first. Hewitt his first. Safin his first. Sampras.

Hurrah, found one. Agassi lost three finals before finally winning Wimbledon. Just goes to show that it isn't very common though. That seed of doubt can't help.

 

[Hayee]

Feel free to disagree if you wish but i believe the reason we are inferior at "other sports" is because the main sports, popularity and monetary wise. in britain are football and rugby. All the boys i went to school with wanted to be pro's in one of the two, none were fussed by others

 

[GhostOfDixie]

Here's one for the stattos out there. How many players have lost their first grand slam final and gone on to win one?

Federer won his first. Nadal won his first. Djokovic won his first. Del Potro his first. Roddick his first. Hewitt his first. Safin his first. Sampras.

Hurrah, found one. Agassi lost three finals before finally winning Wimbledon. Just goes to show that it isn't very common though. That seed of doubt can't help.

Yeah but Agassi wasn't a sustainable champion was he? I think we can probably hope for Murray to do an Ivanivovic and win one late in his career - just don't think he has the mental toughness.

 

[GhostOfDixie]

Feel free to disagree if you wish but i believe the reason we are inferior at "other sports" is because the main sports, popularity and monetary wise. in britain are football and rugby. All the boys i went to school with wanted to be pro's in one of the two, none were fussed by others

This is a good point and one worth mentioning, however - were not really that successful at those sports either.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Yeah but Agassi wasn't a sustainable champion was he? I think we can probably hope for Murray to do an Ivanivovic and win one late in his career - just don't think he has the mental toughness.

Agassi won 8 titles and was one of the first for ages to have won all 4 grand slams. I dare say Murray would be quite happy if he emulated that. Just saying it isn't easy as history shows that most grand slam winners win their first final so don't have any of the doubts that creep in when you lose one.

 

[GhostOfDixie]

Agassi won 8 titles and was one of the first for ages to have won all 4 grand slams. I dare say Murray would be quite happy if he emulated that. Just saying it isn't easy as history shows that most grand slam winners win their first final so don't have any of the doubts that creep in when you lose one.

Fair point, I never realised he had won that many.

 

[Hayee]

This is a good point and one worth mentioning, however - were not really that successful at those sports either.

a British team, imo, would be!! Instead of having wales, england, scotland and northern ireland struggling for quality eligible players why not be team GB? In all sports!

 

[GhostOfDixie]

a British team, imo, would be!! Instead of having wales, england, scotland and northern ireland struggling for quality eligible players why not be team GB? In all sports!

I agree completely - Wales isn't even an independent country really - they don't even have a cricket team. To be fair the whole of the British Isles is a mess.

How comes Ireland are Ireland in Rugby, but in footy it's Northern Ireland and Eire.

I think we would all benefit as a united nation if we joined forces, but then the Scots, Welsh and Irish would have to get over their deep hatred for England.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

A lot of success in sport has to do with timing. Murray 'may' be about to enjoy the fruits of that. Federer has declined from his peek and whilst still formidable you sense he won't get any better. Nadal sadly seems to have been struck down by fitness problems and I can't see him recapturing the form that saw him boss Federer.

Take those two out of the equation and you would have to say Murray is the best of the rest.

 

[NeoNaoNeo]

A lot of success in sport has to do with timing. Murray 'may' be about to enjoy the fruits of that. Federer has declined from his peek and whilst still formidable you sense he won't get any better. Nadal sadly seems to have been struck down by fitness problems and I can't see him recapturing the form that saw him boss Federer.

Take those two out of the equation and you would have to say Murray is the best of the rest.

Absolutely. If he'd had the same grand slam opponent that Djokovic did in his only grand slam win we wouldn't be talking about 75 years and Fred Perry and all that rubbish.

 

[Hayee]

I agree completely - Wales isn't even an independent country really - they don't even have a cricket team. To be fair the whole of the British Isles is a mess.

How comes Ireland are Ireland in Rugby, but in footy it's Northern Ireland and Eire.

I think we would all benefit as a united nation if we joined forces, but then the Scots, Welsh and Irish would have to get over their deep hatred for England.

i don't think that'll be a problem as in my experience it only comes to light through sport. I can see the only major problem being which stadium to use. I prefer the Millennium to Wembley but cannot comment on Hampden or Windsor Park as i've never been to either