Here is Simon giving excuses for Murray's loss at AO 2009 and also annointing Verdasco as a top 5 player, as usual full of BS
Simon Reed: All over for Federer?
Eurosport - Wed, 11 Feb 09:32:00 2009
It's easy to look at Andy Murray's early exit in Melbourne and think that he must be disappointed at having gone out relatively early - but I really believe there's more to it.
I saw him around the place a lot and interviewed him several times, and to me he looked very under the weather: as if he'd really picked up a nasty virus. If I'm right, then it's all credit to him that he didn't say a word about it.
Even still, it was a tight match anyway, one that Murray was winning for a long time until Verdasco caught fire - and Verdasco is in the form of his life anyway, and went on to give Nadal a heck of a match later in the tournament.
I still believe that Andy wasn't right when he went into that match - he had a massive cold sore on his face, his legs looked leaden, and when you're talking about tennis at that level then a bug can make a critical difference of a few per cent.
Had he over trained and weakened his immune system? I've heard people suggest it, but only Andy knows how he felt.
Either way, it's really part of his maturing process that he refused to blame the defeat on anything other than meeting an opponent who played better on the day.
As for Verdasco? Well, I've always thought that a leopard can't change his spots - and he's always had a reputation as a bit of a playboy. In fact I've even seen him in action out on the town, getting girls' phone numbers - he's as quick off the court as he is on it!
But last year he trained with Agassi's former fitness coach Gil Reyes, a fearsome taskmaster who takes no prisoners. He survived the experience, and has become a much better player for it. He's certainly better than Novak Djokovic.
If he doesn't become a top-five player by the end of the year then you'll know that something has gone wrong
