About Murray...

[wangs78]

Have we all noticed how, basically since late '08, Murray has been getting hyped big time before pretty much every grand slam? Not necessarily as the odds on favorite but certainly as one of THE favorites. I don't know if it's the British press or what but the hype is amazing for someone who's never won a Slam to date. Even here at AO '10, he's being hyped yet again. Granted, he does seem to have good results at the smaller tourneys but c'mon, frankly I think Roger, Rafa and Djoker are the ones deserving of any hype.

Frankly, nothing would be more amusing to me (and I admit, I'm not a Murray fan - can you tell? lol) to see Murray keep getting hyped before every GS for the next two years only to see him flame out of the tournament, preferably in the early rounds but I am a fair man and chances are he'll usually make it to at least the 4R. But boy, that would give me such joy! LOL!

 

[fleabitten]

G.F.Y. (good for you, not to be confused with any other phrase.)
Well, now that we know who you like to root against, who do you like to root FOR?

 

[wangs78]

Roger and Rafa. If it's them against each other, then Roger. =)

 

[alfauros]

another "I HATE MURRAY!!!!!!" thread.. It's getting so boring

 

[wangs78]

But why do you think so many ppl don't like him? Do you think it's simply bc most tennis fans are already either in the Roger or Rafa camp and neither camp tends to like Murray? I for one like Roger and Rafa so I don't think I dislike Murray simply bc he's a threat to the players I like.

 

[Kostas]

Have we all noticed how, basically since late '08, Murray has been getting hyped big time before pretty much every grand slam? Not necessarily as the odds on favorite but certainly as one of THE favorites. I don't know if it's the British press or what but the hype is amazing for someone who's never won a Slam to date. Even here at AO '10, he's being hyped yet again. Granted, he does seem to have good results at the smaller tourneys but c'mon, frankly I think Roger, Rafa and Djoker are the ones deserving of any hype.

Frankly, nothing would be more amusing to me (and I admit, I'm not a Murray fan - can you tell? lol) to see Murray keep getting hyped before every GS for the next two years only to see him flame out of the tournament, preferably in the early rounds but I am a fair man and chances are he'll usually make it to at least the 4R. But boy, that would give me such joy! LOL!

Doesn't being ranked in the top 5 tennis players in the world usually automatically come with hype about being "ONE" of the favorites to win any tournament?

How long has Murray been top 5? Coincidence?

 

[wangs78]

Doesn't being ranked in the top 5 tennis players in the world usually automatically come with hype about being "ONE" of the favorites to win any tournament?

How long has Murray been top 5? Coincidence?

Not necessarily. Davydenko was ranked top 5 for quite a while and I don't think he was ever considered a favorite at a GS.

 

[TennisFan3]

Not necessarily. Davydenko was ranked top 5 for quite a while and I don't think he was ever considered a favorite at a GS.

Davydenko didn't have a winning record against the World #1. He also didn't make the USO finals (in fact he's never made a GS final) by beating the, then, #1 (nadal) in process.

 

[wangs78]

Davydenko didn't have a winning record against the World #1. He also didn't make the USO finals (in fact he's never made a GS final) by beating the, then, #1 (nadal) in process.

That is a fair point.

 

[cknobman]

But why do you think so many ppl don't like him?

Its something about the way his face looks........it makes you want to punch him.

 

[SempreSami]

Baaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwww I only like watching winners.

 

[miyagi]

Well its because Murray has potential and the everyone knows it, so the British press are desperate for him to win something significant.

I personally don't like him but he plays well and is probably the favourite for tomorrow

Good luck to him!

 

[jaggy]

Its an english conspiracy to make sure a Scot doesnt win something that the world cares about. Cricket and rugby do not count and they never win at football/soccer.

 

[wangs78]

Well its because Murray has potential and the everyone knows it, so the British press are desperate for him to win something significant.

I personally don't like him but he plays well and is probably the favourite for tomorrow

Good luck to him!

That's probably a big part of it. It is kind of sad isn't it that despite being the host of the world's greatest tennis tournament, Britain has been unable to produce a winner for so long? Pretty sad. When was the last time any male Brit won any slam?

 

[Raffan]

You should try living in the UK - there is hardly ever any decent coverage in the press/on the news of any of the tournaments (except Wimbledon) unless Murray is playing and then we will get 7 different articles about him and a by-the-way one covering the rest of the field - I think he's a very good player but it infuriates me that they assume we only care how he does. I'm looking forward to actually being able to watch Nadal live on television tomorrow morning for once purely because he is playing Murray. Should he beat him that will be it - media coverage of the Australian Open just about over.

 

[miyagi]

No its not a shame, we brits deserve everything we get, we will never get a winner if we only allow the rich kids to participate and if we never show ANY tennis out side of wimbledon on TV (unless Murray is playing ofcourse)

I mean they show bowls on tv for *****s sake and they cant show tennis?

 

[Lucinda]

He's clearly talented, but it's hard to overlook the fact that pretty much everyone else his age that's been hyped to the gills has won a Major already ;/

 

[miyagi]

Yep true.....this year could be his year. If he doesnt win a slam this year I think the pressure will be tooo much!

 

[christos_liaskos]

To wangs78, it was 1936 when Fred Perry won Wimbledon that was the last time we had a Grand Slam male champion.

As for the press coverage. I was talking with my friend about it today.... it seems more than just a big push from the British press. It's a bit like he has a media machine behind him pushing him along. In Australia for example he seems to get scheduling preference over Djokovic who has achieved more and Del Potro (some will argue he has also achieved more). He does seem to have a big fan base in the US also when he plays, with alot of the crowd cheering for him. Also, it may have been due to Djokovic's greed but as far as marketability goes you would think Djokovic is more marketable than Murray as far as Adidas would be concerned. That is until, you consider what I have already said about Murray seemingly having a media machine behind him which pastes him all over tabloids around the world, not just UK, and also gets him better scheduling and tv coverage. When you put that into consideration then all of a sudden you maybe see why Adidas thought he might get their products into people's faces than Djokovic.

I have to admit I am one of the few Murray fans on this board and I believe he has the game to win a slam. But I dont like the extra media push that he seems to have behind him. If anything it probably just puts more pressure and focus on him. Like every year we have to hear about his latest training camps... Roger and Rafa, two guys who have probably the best conditioning out there dont feel the need to shove it in our faces what they've been upto over the off season. They dont see it as anything special, they just see it as something you do to be at the top. I dont know if it's Murray's choice to take the path he is doing in terms of pubilicity but I wish he would maybe take page out of the top2 player's book when it comes to this

 

[kevvycore]

i think its more of those "sports writers" wanting to look like gods by calling that murray is going to win a slam and when it didnt happen they just figured they would keep saying murray is going to win until he does so they can write columns and walk around telling poeple they would listen to them cuz they made the call for murray.

 

[Peters]

I always laugh when people say 'the Brits always hype him up to win'. I live in the UK and the media coverage is no different to any other country commenting on their tennis stars.

It's like when he's asked in an interview "do you feel you have a chance of winning?", he responds "yes, I have a chance" - which is perfectly reasonable. But it gets warped into "I am going to win!".

99% of stuff that's written/discussed about Murray is a load of nonsense. Like I say, I just sit back and chuckle to myself at the ignorance on this forum sometimes - it's like the sheep following the sheep. :lol:

 

[Meaghan]

Sampras wasnt liked too much in his early days, he also didnt win a GS before his compatriots like chang, agassi and courier.

Lets give Murray a break, yes his miserable face does my head in, the same way Sampras' slouch was percieved.

It will be a good match tmoro, if Murray is aggressive with his forehand then he'll win in 4, if he's not and mid courts it then he'll lose.

Simples

 

[Meaghan]

I always laugh when people say 'the Brits always hype him up to win'. I live in the UK and the media coverage is no different to any other country commenting on their tennis stars.

It's like when he's asked in an interview "do you feel you have a chance of winning?", he responds "yes, I have a chance" - which is perfectly reasonable. But it gets warped into "I am going to win!".

99% of stuff that's written/discussed about Murray is a load of nonsense. Like I say, I just sit back and chuckle to myself at the ignorance on this forum sometimes - it's like the sheep following the sheep. :lol:

i agree peters, come join us in 'odds and ends' UK racketaholics.

 

[miyagi]

Well I live in Britain so I know for a FACT Murray is hyped!

Everytime you hear his name it is followed by he has the game to win a slam/ multiple slams etc

They got ever so excited when he beat Roger a few times and all reason went out the window with their predictions of uso 08 etc.

Murray is a great player but he is a little annoying and whats more annoying is the biased media coverage!

 

[clayman2000]

Lets look at it this way:
USO 08 -- Murray makes semis of Canada, wins 1st Masters in Cincy

AO 09 -- won in Doha, and Abu Dhabi, beating both Fed and Rafa

Wimby 09 -- won Queens, and Rafa pulled out

USO 09 -- won Canada, semis in Cincy, in diff half from Fed.

Its not like wasnt one of the top 3 players in form going into these majors.

 

[Peters]

Well I live in Britain so I know for a FACT Murray is hyped!

Everytime you hear his name it is followed by he has the game to win a slam/ multiple slams etc

They got ever so excited when he beat Roger a few times and all reason went out the window with their predictions of uso 08 etc.

Murray is a great player but he is a little annoying and whats more annoying is the biased media coverage!

But what you're describing is the same for every sportsman from any sport. And I've spent time in the US & Australia and seen just as much media hype for their sports stars. :-?

 

[christos_liaskos]

i agree peters, come join us in 'odds and ends' UK racketaholics.

I agree with you two as far as the coverage in the UK is concerned. I dont think it's over the top really at all. If I didnt watch the actual matches and go on ATP website then I wouldnt know how he is getting on down under. Of course during Wimby there will be more coverage but again I dont see how you can call it excessive. On the news they will probably only mention it for 30 seconds in the sports section at the end. The newspapers may have a bit more but again that's understandable. And of course the tennis coverage on tv itself will be focused and arranged around his matches, it's only natural. If Wimbledon coverage was on tv and they didnt mention his previous day's performance or his upcoming match, or decide to show a Federer v Roddick semi rather than Murray v Rafa (i know scheduling would meen theyre not played at the same time, i'm just trying to make a point) that's when I would be wondering what is going on with coverage in this country.

It's the coverage that the other countries give him which seems stranger. I suppose they all really do believe he is good enough to win these slams, unlike most people on here.....

 

[miyagi]

But what you're describing is the same for every sportsman from any sport. And I've spent time in the US & Australia and seen just as much media hype for their sports stars. :-?

I disagree.....Britain takes it too far too often with football and now with Murray....Once he has won a slam hype him all they want. Until then give the guy a break let him perform without claiming that he is the tennis messiah and he may win a slam or two!

 

[Peters]

I disagree.....Britain takes it too far too often with football and now with Murray....

Stop referring to a few tabloid newspapers as 'Britain'!! Who cares what some of the red-top sports 'writers' say?

 

[wangs78]

He's clearly talented, but it's hard to overlook the fact that pretty much everyone else his age that's been hyped to the gills has won a Major already ;/

Exactly! But I wonder who is more disappointing, Murray, who keeps doing stupendously in the smaller tournaments only to get beaten at the slams, or Djokovic who showed such great potential at the USO '07 and AO '08 only to appear to have lost focus since then.

 

[wangs78]

To wangs78, it was 1936 when Fred Perry won Wimbledon that was the last time we had a Grand Slam male champion.

As for the press coverage. I was talking with my friend about it today.... it seems more than just a big push from the British press. It's a bit like he has a media machine behind him pushing him along. In Australia for example he seems to get scheduling preference over Djokovic who has achieved more and Del Potro (some will argue he has also achieved more). He does seem to have a big fan base in the US also when he plays, with alot of the crowd cheering for him. Also, it may have been due to Djokovic's greed but as far as marketability goes you would think Djokovic is more marketable than Murray as far as Adidas would be concerned. That is until, you consider what I have already said about Murray seemingly having a media machine behind him which pastes him all over tabloids around the world, not just UK, and also gets him better scheduling and tv coverage. When you put that into consideration then all of a sudden you maybe see why Adidas thought he might get their products into people's faces than Djokovic.

I have to admit I am one of the few Murray fans on this board and I believe he has the game to win a slam. But I dont like the extra media push that he seems to have behind him. If anything it probably just puts more pressure and focus on him. Like every year we have to hear about his latest training camps... Roger and Rafa, two guys who have probably the best conditioning out there dont feel the need to shove it in our faces what they've been upto over the off season. They dont see it as anything special, they just see it as something you do to be at the top. I dont know if it's Murray's choice to take the path he is doing in terms of pubilicity but I wish he would maybe take page out of the top2 player's book when it comes to this

Appreciate your post. I think that is part of why some ppl find him annoying. There's a bit too much of the "in your face" as to why he is "ready" to win a Slam. Others just do it (Djokovic and Delpo) but it's been quite some time that the media and Murray himself, who tends to talk about how he's ready blah blah blah, over and over again.

 

[jamesblakefan#1]

He's clearly talented, but it's hard to overlook the fact that pretty much everyone else his age that's been hyped to the gills has won a Major already ;/

Monfils, Gasquet, Berdych...all have been bigger disappointments, granted none outside of maybe Gasquet have generated near the hype level of Murray.

 

[SempreSami]

But what you're describing is the same for every sportsman from any sport. And I've spent time in the US & Australia and seen just as much media hype for their sports stars. :-?

IMO Mitchell Johnson gets way more hype than Murray does in a less followed sport.

He won ICC Test player of the year even though he's horrendous.

 

[Dean]

Sampras wasnt liked too much in his early days, he also didnt win a GS before his compatriots like chang, agassi and courier.

Really??? Only Chang won before him... and it was his only one.