If Murray faces Nadal at Wimbledon...

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Nathaniel_Near

Guest
He will have almost no chances to win unless he can consistently find his DTL forehand with meaningful pace and vigour, otherwise Nadal just contains him and shows him up for his lack of weaponry - refer to previous matches at Wimbledon.

The key point is, Nadal can easily contain Murray's forehand with his own backhand in their never-ending and boring FH to BH strategic exchanges.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTS6_VBnNBA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tMYPWSfRR0

Points updated in OP as they come through, like in the Djokovic thread:

- No, the more key point is one of mentality
- Murray's forehand has improved since then
- Nadal's backhand side is weaker post injury?

- Different context now, Murray turned the corner in 2012, made the Wimbledon final and beat Federer in a best of 5 match on grass at the Olympic Games.

Nadal will lose. - Clarky21 /thread
 
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dudeski

Hall of Fame
Murray in 4 if he plays like he did in 2012. Andy should be done with his mental midgetry now that he is a slam winner.
 

Goosehead

Legend
you are living in the past..murray is different mentally thanks to lendl, and his fh can waste nadals post injury weaker bh side.
 

bullfan

Legend
Is this a philosophical post?

Murray's stumbling block against Nadal will be more mental than anything else in my opinion.

Murray has the game to beat him, but has to step up mentally to defeat Nadal on grass. Of course, Rafa should have confidence from his year thus far, but I wonder how his body is holding up.
 

NatF

Bionic Poster
He will have almost no chances to win unless he can consistently find his DTL forehand with meaningful pace and vigour, otherwise Nadal just contains him and shows him up for his lack of weaponry - refer to previous matches at Wimbledon.

The key point is, Nadal can easily contain Murray's forehand with his own backhand in their never-ending and boring FH to BH strategic exchanges.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTS6_VBnNBA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tMYPWSfRR0

Murray's forehand has improved ALOT since their last meeting, I expect Murray to have the edge in their next encounter.
 
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Nathaniel_Near

Guest
Is this a philosophical post?

Murray's stumbling block against Nadal will be more mental than anything else in my opinion.

Murray has the game to beat him, but has to step up mentally to defeat Nadal on grass. Of course, Rafa should have confidence from his year thus far, but I wonder how his body is holding up.

:lol:

Not on this occasion. This time I'm being frank and literal. ;)


I just think Nadal finds a comfort zone against Murray and trusts in himself more to redirect the play with force and strong initiation during the course of their well documented prolonged and incessant cross-court exchanges.
 

papertank

Hall of Fame
Murray could win, but he has to a play a air-tight game with no lapses in concentration or Rafa will overtake him easily. Murray's forehand has gotten a lot better, but he's gotten just a little less consistant as well, and if he's going to beat Rafa he can't be inconsistant. Also, if it goes to 5, I'd easily favor Rafa.
 
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Nathaniel_Near

Guest
Murray's forehand has improved ALOT since their last meeting, I expect Murray to have the edge in their next encounter.

I have to agree, it has improved. I'm keeping a very close eye on his forehand through Queens and will be continuing to through Wimbledon.
 

dudeski

Hall of Fame
Hopefully after Nadal loses before Wimbledon final all those "Nadal is invincible" threads will stop for a year.
 

bullfan

Legend
:lol:

Not on this occasion. This time I'm being frank and literal. ;)


I just think Nadal finds a comfort zone against Murray and trusts in himself more to redirect the play with force and strong initiation during the course of their well documented prolonged and incessant cross-court exchanges.

I agree, but that was before Ivan! Andy is getting more aggressive now, and that's why I think it's a mental game for Andy.
 

NatF

Bionic Poster
I have to agree, it has improved. I'm keeping a very close eye on his forehand through Queens and will be continuing to through Wimbledon.

He's hitting it pretty hard so far at Queens I think, he's a strong guy he can get alot of pace on both wings when he wants. I certainly think he'll be winning exchanges with Nadal's backhand. He will definately have to go down the line though, it's the only way to keep Nadal honest.
 
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Nathaniel_Near

Guest
He's hitting it pretty hard so far at Queens I think, he's a strong guy he can get alot of pace on both wings when he wants. I certainly think he'll be winning exchanges with Nadal's backhand. He will definately have to go down the line though, it's the only way to keep Nadal honest.

Exactly, and when the space is created as a result of these redirections of attack, it will need to be pounced upon.

But hey, maybe they'll be in different halves of the draw, maybe they won't meet, maybe Rosol will draw Murray in R2.
 

cc0509

Talk Tennis Guru
Murray may have the game to beat Nadal on grass but I am not sure he has the mentality to do so at W in best of five. Murray is 0-3 vs Nadal at W. Murray has improved a lot on grass but Nadal also looks pretty good to me so far this year.

If somebody put a gun to my head right now I would say Nadal will beat Murray at W this year if they meet unless Murray can really summon that killer instinct against Nadal.
 

bullfan

Legend
Didn't we just witness Nadal's 2nd worse performance at FO ever? Why all the threads?

It's sad for the others, when Nadals coming of an injury, and in his 2nd worst match, he gave out a breadstick. I think the Isner match that went to 5 had more drama.
 

cc0509

Talk Tennis Guru
Murray was impressive last grass season. I think he'd win handily; not that Nadal will make it that far.

Murray was very impressive last year at W and the Olympics against an old and declining Federer and Djokovic (who is not a great grass court player.) I am not sure if that is enough for Murray to beat Nadal on grass if the two should meet. He is in awe of Nadal in a way he is not about Federer or Djokovic.
 

batz

G.O.A.T.
Murray was very impressive last year at W and the Olympics against an old and declining Federer and Djokovic (who is not a great grass court player.) I am not sure if that is enough for Murray to beat Nadal on grass if the two should meet. He is in awe of Nadal in a way he is not about Federer or Djokovic.

And yet until last summer, he had 2 slam wins over Rafa versus 0 for Nole and Roger combined.
 

NatF

Bionic Poster
Exactly, and when the space is created as a result of these redirections of attack, it will need to be pounced upon.

But hey, maybe they'll be in different halves of the draw, maybe they won't meet, maybe Rosol will draw Murray in R2.

Murray vs Nadal on grass is probably the match I want to see most right now, followed by them at the US Open. Seems like it's the most intriguing of the potential matches of the big 4.
 

WhiskeyEE

G.O.A.T.
Murray was very impressive last year at W and the Olympics against an old and declining Federer and Djokovic (who is not a great grass court player.) I am not sure if that is enough for Murray to beat Nadal on grass if the two should meet. He is in awe of Nadal in a way he is not about Federer or Djokovic.

I don't think he'll be in awe of anything Nadal has to offer this year. Murray is the more aggressive pusher nowadays and honestly has more weapons. I don't think Nadal's clay court tactic of sitting behind the baseline hitting looping forehands will work. He isn't fast enough anymore to play that style on faster courts.
 

Clarky21

Banned
Murray was impressive last grass season. I think he'd win handily; not that Nadal will make it that far.

This is true. Nadal crapped out at Wimby last year against a guy ranked in the 100's. I think suggesting he will beat Murray at Wimby right now is ridiculous.
 
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Nathaniel_Near

Guest
I prefer Fed Nole.

Murray Nadal matches have bored me the most in the past to be quite honesty, but at the same time I REALLY want to see them match up at Wimbledon because it's been so long and Murray has now got his big wins against the other top players in the Slam events.
 

cc0509

Talk Tennis Guru
And yet until last summer, he had 2 slam wins over Rafa versus 0 for Nole and Roger combined.

True but really it is only one win at the USO, the other was a Nadal retirement at the AO.

I don't know, Murray has been doing a lot of public fawning over Nadal recently. I am not sure that lays the solid groundwork for a W whipping of Nadal.
 

cc0509

Talk Tennis Guru
I don't think he'll be in awe of anything Nadal has to offer this year. Murray is the more aggressive pusher nowadays and honestly has more weapons. I don't think Nadal's clay court tactic of sitting behind the baseline hitting looping forehands will work. He isn't fast enough anymore to play that style on faster courts.

Nadal does not play so far behind the baseline at W as he does at the FO. I disagree Nadal is not fast enough any longer to play on faster courts. It is hard to predict because we have not seen a Murray/Nadal match in a while and we have not seen Murray play well this year so far. Hard to know what his real W form will be.
 

mandy01

G.O.A.T.
Now, instead of obligatory troll posts, we have obligatory clarky posts :lol: Not that there is much difference when you find clarky spamming the board with tales of every possible way in which Nadal could lose only to find that he hasn't more often than not. Too bad. She's a decent poster otherwise.
 

mandy01

G.O.A.T.
Nadal will lose.

Nadal will win (unfortunately).

smilie_girl_203.gif
 

Mainad

Bionic Poster
True but really it is only one win at the USO, the other was a Nadal retirement at the AO.

Nadal only retired when he was 2 sets and 3-0 down in the 3rd. He was already comprehensively beaten and he admitted as much after the match.

I don't know, Murray has been doing a lot of public fawning over Nadal recently. I am not sure that lays the solid groundwork for a W whipping of Nadal.

Well, he didn't do much fawning the last time they met when he bagelled Nadal in the 3rd set of the 2011 Tokyo final for the loss of just 4 points, one of the worst beatdowns Nadal has ever suffered on any surface in his entire career!
 

WhiskeyEE

G.O.A.T.
Nadal does not play so far behind the baseline at W as he does at the FO. I disagree Nadal is not fast enough any longer to play on faster courts. It is hard to predict because we have not seen a Murray/Nadal match in a while and we have not seen Murray play well this year so far. Hard to know what his real W form will be.

I remember Nadal played poorly last year during the first round at W. I think he won in 3 close sets, but he looked really bad. He looked bad in the warmup tournament too.

In the Rosol match he was giving up so many short balls because he was too slow to get into position in time. I see that happening again.
 
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Nathaniel_Near

Guest
Was that just for last year? Not sure how that's possible. And, Roger has beaten Rafa at 2 W finals.

Means that Murray had wins over Rafa but no wins against Roger or Novak, not that Nole and Roger had no wins over Nadal.
 

cc0509

Talk Tennis Guru
I remember Nadal played poorly last year during the first round at W. I think he won in 3 close sets, but he looked really bad. He looked bad in the warmup tournament too.

In the Rosol match he was giving up so many short balls because he was too slow to get into position in time. I see that happening again.

It may happen again but I doubt it, we will have to see. I have a feeling he will be more prepared at W this year given what happened to him there last year.
 

bullfan

Legend
Now, instead of obligatory troll posts, we have obligatory clarky posts :lol: Not that there is much difference when you find clarky spamming the board with tales of every possible way in which Nadal could lose only to find that he hasn't more often than not. Too bad. She's a decent poster otherwise.

i keep hearing that, but have yet to see any posts to support that theory.
 

cc0509

Talk Tennis Guru
Well, he didn't do much fawning the last time they met when he bagelled Nadal in the 3rd set of the 2011 Tokyo final for the loss of just 4 points, one of the worst beatdowns Nadal has ever suffered on any surface in his entire career!

True, that was a real good beatdown over Nadal in Tokyo but tune-ups are not slams. Being a Murray fan, are you super confident that Murray will beat Nadal at W if they meet given their respective forms so far this year and given the fact that Murray is 0-3 vs Nadal at W? Be honest.
 

bullfan

Legend
True, that was a real good beatdown over Nadal in Tokyo but tune-ups are not slams. Being a Murray fan, are you super confident that Murray will beat Nadal at W if they meet given their respective forms so far this year and given the fact that Murray is 0-3 vs Nadal at W? Be honest.

I think that Murray has his best chance given his improvements since getting Ivan! Of course, he hasn't faced Nadal yet on Grass, and that's why at this point, I'm convinced it's totally mental for Murray.
 

bullfan

Legend
Murral at Wimbledon would be similar to AO2010. Nadal retires in the third to save the inevitable bagel.

quite frankly, i wouldnt see nadal retiring, but giving murray the win, if murray was decimating him. i think nadal would take it like a man.
 

Mainad

Bionic Poster
True, that was a real good beatdown over Nadal in Tokyo but tune-ups are not slams. Being a Murray fan, are you super confident that Murray will beat Nadal at W if they meet given their respective forms so far this year and given the fact that Murray is 0-3 vs Nadal at W? Be honest.

I'm confident that he has a chance providing he maintains his level of play and especially his focus and concentration. IMO he should have won their last encounter at the 2011 semis but choked after going up a set and failing to close out an easy volley to go a break up in the 2nd. The difference is that he now has Lendl in his corner to help re-inforce his mental strength.

It will be interesting because Nadal is untested on grass this year and has chosen not to play a warmup going into Wimbledon. That said, he will be itching to avenge last year's 2nd round defeat. Murray will be eager to try his luck again on his 2nd favourite surface and one on which he did so well last year.
 

cc0509

Talk Tennis Guru
I think that Murray has his best chance given his improvements since getting Ivan! Of course, he hasn't faced Nadal yet on Grass, and that's why at this point, I'm convinced it's totally mental for Murray.

One would think so but Murray has kind of been MIA since his USO win last year. Maybe he is putting all of his energy into trying to win W. He has been practicing on grass for weeks so he may have that advantage over the other top three. I hope Murray and Nadal do meet at W as it will be interesting to see how their games match up there at this stage of their careers.
 
Nadal is likely to beat every particular individual opponent at this years Wimbledon. Thus he is likely to beat Murray should they play.
 

President

Legend
Nadal is likely to beat every particular individual opponent at this years Wimbledon. Thus he is likely to beat Murray should they play.

This, I think he is more prone to a random upset than Murray but he should be favored over any particular player at Wimbledon, including Murray. The one with the best chance against him is Djokovic due to the matchup/mental issue but even against him I would favor Nadal.
 

bullfan

Legend
One would think so but Murray has kind of been MIA since his USO win last year. Maybe he is putting all of his energy into trying to win W. He has been practicing on grass for weeks so he may have that advantage over the other top three. I hope Murray and Nadal do meet at W as it will be interesting to see how their games match up there at this stage of their careers.

I think that Murray beating Nadal could be a mixed blessing. It depends on when he plays Nadal. If he played Nadal pre-final, he could be so jazzed up that he loses the next match instead of staying focused. I hope that if he plays Nadal and wins he stays mentally fresh.

As much as I'm a fan of Nadal, I want Murray to win Wimbledon.
 
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