(Post surgery) Is clay Murrays best surface?!?!

[Flint]

In 2014 he got his best Slam result at the French Open. He didn't do anything noteworthy until the clay season and wasn't a threat to the top players until he had that epic QF with Nadal at Rome. Apart from wining those 250/500's in the fall, the clay season was his highlight of 2014.

Yeah he made the finals of the 2015/6 AO's and won the Rogers cup so there is a slight argument for hardcourt.

Before surgery he had never made a clay final and had only 1 top ten win on clay. Now he has won a 250 and a masters on clay, made consecutive FO semi finals and got quite a few top ten wins on clay now including 2 over Nadal. I think he has 6 top ten wins on clay now (maybe 7 If Raonic was in top ten last year).

He was no where in IW/Miami and now has a SF and a F in the clay masters.

Quite a few of his hardcourt losses to Djokovic since surgery have been straight set beatdowns but his clay matches are going the distance, especially 5 sets at the FO.

Perhaps he can go better at Wimbledon this year but atm it looks like, since surgery, clay has actually become his best surface?

 

[NatF]

I think his issue last season was the Davis Cup tiring him out, by the time the summer hard courts came around he was running on fumes. His best slam event in terms of level of play was the AO last year. This year it remains to be seen. At the moment he seems to be consistently playing at a high level across all surfaces, his level on clay looks very similar to everywhere else.

 

[Russeljones]

Murray is playing like the real world #2. Time for the arrogant impostor #2 to take a hike to his chalet.

 

[Flint]

Bump after winning his second masters by beating world number 1 in the final.

 

[Deleted member 743561]

Definitely an exciting prospect, and ramps up the intrigue for this edition of RG. It's really pretty remarkable that he's near the top after surgery on his spine... I wonder what it is about clay that would allow him to thrive on it more than the others? The BO5 format on the surface definitely demands superhuman fitness... would be an incredible story if he titled at RG.

 

[bjsnider]

Murray has changed his game, fixed his forehand, learned how to move on clay, changed his serve grip so that shot is more dangerous. He deserves credit for understanding that 'just playing well' wasn't getting it done, and he needed to make changes.

 

[JRAJ1988]

I never thought that Murray would be excelling on Clay. Remember when Murray making the semis or the quarters of Clay events has considered a "good result"?

 

[HipRotation]

I feel like he always had the ability to do well on clay but was uncomfortable in the beginnings, around 2011 he started to get good results making semis and pushing Djokovic2011 to the limit. Then his back gave up being able to handle all the twisting required leading to the infamous Troicki RG match, having serious pain in 2012 RG, missing out 2013 and then recovering from surgery for most of 2014. I think that it's only natural for a healthy Murray to be a threat on clay.

 

[ultradr]

Career slam is relatively easier since 2003 or so.
Top players are more or less surface agnostic.

Let's imagine Nadal did not exist.
I think both Federer and Djokovic would have had multiple career slams, or 4 straight slams or even calendar slams.

 

[Krish872007]

 

[Deleted member 307496]

No hardcourt still is.

 

[Flint]

And how is that post surgery?

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

Murray is a mystery. He has no prime, no peak, and no best surface.

Heck, he didn't even win the AO, yet he might win the Calendar Year Grand Slam in 2016.

How is that possible?

#MurrayInternationalManOfMisery

 

[Krish872007]

And how is that post surgery?

It means: let's see. He was good on grass last year (with a 10-1 record on the surface I think) and is basically back to a good level. I would like to see how he fares on grass this year before reaching a conclusion.

 

[mike danny]

Muray probably proved what he had to prove on HC and grass by winning those 2 slam titles, those HC masters and Olympic Gold medal.

It is on clay he feels he has something to prove. Probablythis is why Murray has played some of his best tennis on clay this year but was garbage in the summer HC events. He has more motivation for clay now.

 

[I Am Finnish]

No hardcourt still is.

Still Grass

 

[Poisoned Slice]

Maybe.