Murray the New Henman?
Jan 26th 2009, 3:35 pm
#16
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Re: Murray the New Henman?
Just seen these stats (that I didn't know while I was watching the game)
(from the BBC website) "The Spaniard landed 74% of his first serves, with that figure hitting an astonishing 93% in the fourth set."
That is an amazing first service percentage...
(from the BBC website) "The Spaniard landed 74% of his first serves, with that figure hitting an astonishing 93% in the fourth set."
That is an amazing first service percentage...
Jan 26th 2009, 4:19 pm
#17
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 7,646
Re: Murray the New Henman?
Precison art tennis though -it's yaaaaaaaaaaaaawn.
I think Rafa is top of the game a ce moment
but the tedium of whacking balls up the court with loaded racquets,tight strings and little variation takes a lot away from the game.
He's a joy to watch when he's scampering about the court chasing down every ball but the Rudeski (sp) style of play is safe and boring.
Andy imho will never be a consistant player in the fashion of Borg or Sampras or Federer -he's champion material but still full of the red mist.
Jan 26th 2009, 6:40 pm
#18
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 13,553
Re: Murray the New Henman?
Sorry Rapido, as much as it pains me to say it, I agree with Bison 
Hard to compare the sports but Hamilton as a novice blew it and then in a unsuperior car won this year... Listen to what some of the best drivers of all time are saying, this guy will be a great...
Owen was 18 when he dribbled past players at a WC, Rooney the same, if you are old enough you are good enough...
Murray has had a great start to this season and end of last season, top player in the world on form, has been around for about 4 years, had a monumental off day against a middle ranking player with a big serve...
I think he will win a slam one day and hopefully this year, but he isnt on the same plane as Federer, Nadal and Djokivic yet, and probably not even Henman...
A bit like my school reports, must try harder...
Hard to compare the sports but Hamilton as a novice blew it and then in a unsuperior car won this year... Listen to what some of the best drivers of all time are saying, this guy will be a great...
Owen was 18 when he dribbled past players at a WC, Rooney the same, if you are old enough you are good enough...
Murray has had a great start to this season and end of last season, top player in the world on form, has been around for about 4 years, had a monumental off day against a middle ranking player with a big serve...
I think he will win a slam one day and hopefully this year, but he isnt on the same plane as Federer, Nadal and Djokivic yet, and probably not even Henman...
A bit like my school reports, must try harder...
Murray has got the skill and the determination that Henman always lacked - there's no serious comparison. In terms of games rather than sets, Murray lost 21-20.............. hardly a thrashing.
128 players set out last week to win this thing.............. 127 will fail to do so. Are they all 'bottlers', 'chokers', etc?
He'll be fine.
Jan 26th 2009, 7:05 pm
#19
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Joined: Nov 2007
Location: Bahrain
Posts: 183
Re: Murray the New Henman?
He has a lot more going for him than 'Tiger Tim ' but I guess for the time being, he is now Scottish again and not British ?
Jan 27th 2009, 2:53 am
#20
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Re: Murray the New Henman?
I presume you don't actually follow or watch tennis then?
Right now he is the third, possibly the second best player in the world. Better than Djokovic for sure, and probably better than Fed too. He had a terrible start to 2008 and isn't defending too many points, so if he stays on current form will probably be world number 3 by the autumn. He has won big tournaments in pressure situations in the past six months and at 21 has already achieved more than Henman did in his whole career (Murray has reached a slam final and won two masters series events). After two real seasons amongst the big boys he has won 9 tournaments - compared to 11 in the whole of Henman's career. His game is still improving and he is already 10 times the player Henman ever was. Yes I am aware Murray had a shocker to the beginning of last year, but in all reality he has not won a slam yet, non? Djokovic has won a slam so I think that makes him at this stage a better player than murray, plus he is not in the same league yet, as Fed or Nadal, my point is that Murray should have been a semi finalist at the least on his current form and an eratic display that he showed yesterday is not what a champion would do... Better than Fed at the moment???? You are serioulsy having a laugh mate...
I presume you also don't watch F1 either if you think Hamilton's car was unsuperior. Fact is he blew it in his first major shot (in a better car), then almost blew it in his second season (in a far far far better car, against a man who isn't even in the same league as him as a driver). Lewis is a superb driver, and I have no doubt he will go on to be one of the greats - but right now he has zero competion (a totally disinterested Kimi and a good but not great Massa) and should have had both of the last two titles sewn up halfway through the season, but has shown not really shown many signs that he can deal with serious pressure. Had Schumacher not retired, he would now be a 9 time world champion... If you read my post then i did in fact say he blew it in a better car in 07, but this year the *****ri was better than the Maclaren for the second part of the season... I dont watch formula 1, ok you got me, never seen a race in my life... Hamilton in his first season was competing like a veteran, name me a better debut season?
Murray let the occassion get to him in his first chance (US Open, but Fed was also so good it was like watching the 2005-2006 season in this match), was and will remain, the US Open. If he can carry this kind of form into the latter part of the year then I think he will win the US.
Before passing judgement you also have to remember that different players mature at different rates in all sports (contrast Rooney...not looking like a world beater now is he, with Ian Wright - who was playing non-league football until he was 24 for example).
Right now he is the third, possibly the second best player in the world. Better than Djokovic for sure, and probably better than Fed too. He had a terrible start to 2008 and isn't defending too many points, so if he stays on current form will probably be world number 3 by the autumn. He has won big tournaments in pressure situations in the past six months and at 21 has already achieved more than Henman did in his whole career (Murray has reached a slam final and won two masters series events). After two real seasons amongst the big boys he has won 9 tournaments - compared to 11 in the whole of Henman's career. His game is still improving and he is already 10 times the player Henman ever was. Yes I am aware Murray had a shocker to the beginning of last year, but in all reality he has not won a slam yet, non? Djokovic has won a slam so I think that makes him at this stage a better player than murray, plus he is not in the same league yet, as Fed or Nadal, my point is that Murray should have been a semi finalist at the least on his current form and an eratic display that he showed yesterday is not what a champion would do... Better than Fed at the moment???? You are serioulsy having a laugh mate...
I presume you also don't watch F1 either if you think Hamilton's car was unsuperior. Fact is he blew it in his first major shot (in a better car), then almost blew it in his second season (in a far far far better car, against a man who isn't even in the same league as him as a driver). Lewis is a superb driver, and I have no doubt he will go on to be one of the greats - but right now he has zero competion (a totally disinterested Kimi and a good but not great Massa) and should have had both of the last two titles sewn up halfway through the season, but has shown not really shown many signs that he can deal with serious pressure. Had Schumacher not retired, he would now be a 9 time world champion... If you read my post then i did in fact say he blew it in a better car in 07, but this year the *****ri was better than the Maclaren for the second part of the season... I dont watch formula 1, ok you got me, never seen a race in my life... Hamilton in his first season was competing like a veteran, name me a better debut season?
Murray let the occassion get to him in his first chance (US Open, but Fed was also so good it was like watching the 2005-2006 season in this match), was and will remain, the US Open. If he can carry this kind of form into the latter part of the year then I think he will win the US.
Before passing judgement you also have to remember that different players mature at different rates in all sports (contrast Rooney...not looking like a world beater now is he, with Ian Wright - who was playing non-league football until he was 24 for example).
My point is that Murray on form is the best player in the world right now and went out too early for that kind of form... Wrighty was not the best player in the world when he was playing non league and not even in his hey day in an Arse or England shirt...
Jan 27th 2009, 3:14 am
#21
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Re: Murray the New Henman?
And neither have Rooney or Owen...
Sorry - but Murray is a better player than Djokovic at the moment. You have to base these things on recent form - the past six months, Murray has been a lot better. Not in one tournament, not in two but over a whole heap of them.
I agree he went out too early for his current form...but you know what, shit happens. He's 21 and he's just starting to hit his stride. It won't be the first time a favourite didn't make it all the way to the final, and it won't be the last. He didn't whinge about it, he admitted he didn't play well enough in that game and that the better man won. He said he will learn from it, and actually showed real class post match. If in five years time he hasn't been a regular semi-finalist/finalist or winner of the big tournaments then judge him. Right now is the wrong time.
Slams are the icing on the cake. The ultimate test of pressure (especially as they are five setters) but they are one off events. Are you suggesting (for example in golf) that Paul Lawrie is a better player than Garcia or Montgomerie (was)? Or that in snooker, Joe Johnson was a better player than Jimmy White? Nadal had never got past the quarters of the US until this year despite being number 2 seed each time...did that make him a bad player? No these events are one offs.
Sorry - but Murray is a better player than Djokovic at the moment. You have to base these things on recent form - the past six months, Murray has been a lot better. Not in one tournament, not in two but over a whole heap of them.
I agree he went out too early for his current form...but you know what, shit happens. He's 21 and he's just starting to hit his stride. It won't be the first time a favourite didn't make it all the way to the final, and it won't be the last. He didn't whinge about it, he admitted he didn't play well enough in that game and that the better man won. He said he will learn from it, and actually showed real class post match. If in five years time he hasn't been a regular semi-finalist/finalist or winner of the big tournaments then judge him. Right now is the wrong time.
Slams are the icing on the cake. The ultimate test of pressure (especially as they are five setters) but they are one off events. Are you suggesting (for example in golf) that Paul Lawrie is a better player than Garcia or Montgomerie (was)? Or that in snooker, Joe Johnson was a better player than Jimmy White? Nadal had never got past the quarters of the US until this year despite being number 2 seed each time...did that make him a bad player? No these events are one offs.
Last edited by W10; Jan 27th 2009 at 3:21 am.
Jan 27th 2009, 3:31 am
#22
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Posts: 587
Re: Murray the New Henman?
And neither have Rooney or Owen...
Sorry - but Murray is a better player than Djokovic at the moment. You have to base these things on recent form - the past six months, Murray has been a lot better. Not in one tournament, not in two but over a whole heap of them.
I agree he went out too early for his current form...but you know what, shit happens. He's 21 and he's just starting to hit his stride. It won't be the first time a favourite didn't make it all the way to the final, and it won't be the last. He didn't whinge about it, he admitted he didn't play well enough in that game and that the better man won. He said he will learn from it, and actually showed real class post match. If in five years time he hasn't been a regular semi-finalist/finalist or winner of the big tournaments then judge him. Right now is the wrong time.
Slams are the icing on the cake. The ultimate test of pressure (especially as they are five setters) but they are one off events. Are you suggesting (for example in golf) that Paul Lawrie is a better player than Garcia or Montgomerie (was)? Or that in snooker, Joe Johnson was a better player than Jimmy White? Nadal had never got past the quarters of the US until this year despite being number 2 seed each time...did that make him a bad player? No these events are one offs.
Sorry - but Murray is a better player than Djokovic at the moment. You have to base these things on recent form - the past six months, Murray has been a lot better. Not in one tournament, not in two but over a whole heap of them.
I agree he went out too early for his current form...but you know what, shit happens. He's 21 and he's just starting to hit his stride. It won't be the first time a favourite didn't make it all the way to the final, and it won't be the last. He didn't whinge about it, he admitted he didn't play well enough in that game and that the better man won. He said he will learn from it, and actually showed real class post match. If in five years time he hasn't been a regular semi-finalist/finalist or winner of the big tournaments then judge him. Right now is the wrong time.
Slams are the icing on the cake. The ultimate test of pressure (especially as they are five setters) but they are one off events. Are you suggesting (for example in golf) that Paul Lawrie is a better player than Garcia or Montgomerie (was)? Or that in snooker, Joe Johnson was a better player than Jimmy White? Nadal had never got past the quarters of the US until this year despite being number 2 seed each time...did that make him a bad player? No these events are one offs.
Well Monty will forever be upset that he never won a major when he had the chance and he had a few over the years thats for sure...
Group hugs all round, I love Andy and you W10, but mainly Andy for all that he has done for tennis, I want him as much as the next scotsman to win a slam and hopefuly that will be this year... Today is a new day and I wish Andy all the best in his next tournament and I can prove the Aussies wrong that he is not a Choker!
I am still hurt that you insinuated i dont know anything about F1 tho
Last edited by Sky Blue; Jan 27th 2009 at 3:57 am. Reason: spelinj
Jan 27th 2009, 5:13 am
#23
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Re: Murray the New Henman?
All I would say is that if Schumacher was still racing. He'd have won the title in 07 and 08. Especially in 08.
It was the most exciting year ever for the title race, but the most mediocre year for driving...
It was the most exciting year ever for the title race, but the most mediocre year for driving...
