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G.O.A.T.
Tsonga: Local hero Murray will have an added pressure at his home Grand Slam
Sadly I am at home in Switzerland now rather than preparing for Wimbledon’s second week but even from this far away I might have a better idea than most of what it feels like to be Andy Murray right now.
I have it in common with Andy that we both come from countries that host Grand Slams, and while there are some big advantages to that it also brings with it a special kind of pressure.
It was only a few weeks ago that I made it to the semi-finals at Roland Garros so it is quite fresh in my mind: everyone wants to talk to you, everyone is desperate for you to do well, you yourself are desperate to succeed.
These are pressures that Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, for example, have never experienced and while it is definitely great to have the support from the home fans it can bring its challenges too.
I think Andy handles it well and other players in the locker room admire the way he copes, especially as he is the only player from his country at the really top level.
The rest of us also know that you cannot just turn up and expect to win your matches against the players ranked lower than you. The standard of the top 30 is very good right now, so while Murray and Djokovic are favourites to meet in the final — and I think that is what will happen — they cannot relax for a second.
Maybe the thing that separates the top four from other players is that they are able to hold their highest level of play longer than others, and they will both need to do that.
Experience is a massive thing in these situations and that is why I think the biggest single threat to a Djokovic-Murray final might come from Novak’s possible quarter final opponent Tomas Berdych.
Apart from having an incredibly powerful game he knows what it is like to beat the biggest players on the biggest stages, so he is very capable of causing an upset if he makes it to the last eight, and Novak beats Tommy Haas, who has been playing really well. Juan Martin Del Potro is another with that experience, so he would be no easy semi-final opponent either.
Not that Andy has it easy, I have played those who he is most likely to face en route to the final and on their day they are difficult opposition.
Mikhail Youzhny likes the grass and has plenty of weapons to hurt you with. At 31 he knows his chances will not last forever so he will see this as a big opportunity.
I think maybe Andy’s hardest matches would be today and in the semi-finals, but if he was to meet Fernando Verdasco in the quarters he would have to beware his huge lefthanded forehand.
My feeling is that Andy is ready for these challenges. I will wish him the best — and I will have plenty of understanding for him.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/te...fried-Tsonga--Andy-Murray-added-pressure.html
Sadly I am at home in Switzerland now rather than preparing for Wimbledon’s second week but even from this far away I might have a better idea than most of what it feels like to be Andy Murray right now.
I have it in common with Andy that we both come from countries that host Grand Slams, and while there are some big advantages to that it also brings with it a special kind of pressure.
It was only a few weeks ago that I made it to the semi-finals at Roland Garros so it is quite fresh in my mind: everyone wants to talk to you, everyone is desperate for you to do well, you yourself are desperate to succeed.
These are pressures that Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, for example, have never experienced and while it is definitely great to have the support from the home fans it can bring its challenges too.
I think Andy handles it well and other players in the locker room admire the way he copes, especially as he is the only player from his country at the really top level.
The rest of us also know that you cannot just turn up and expect to win your matches against the players ranked lower than you. The standard of the top 30 is very good right now, so while Murray and Djokovic are favourites to meet in the final — and I think that is what will happen — they cannot relax for a second.
Maybe the thing that separates the top four from other players is that they are able to hold their highest level of play longer than others, and they will both need to do that.
Experience is a massive thing in these situations and that is why I think the biggest single threat to a Djokovic-Murray final might come from Novak’s possible quarter final opponent Tomas Berdych.
Apart from having an incredibly powerful game he knows what it is like to beat the biggest players on the biggest stages, so he is very capable of causing an upset if he makes it to the last eight, and Novak beats Tommy Haas, who has been playing really well. Juan Martin Del Potro is another with that experience, so he would be no easy semi-final opponent either.
Not that Andy has it easy, I have played those who he is most likely to face en route to the final and on their day they are difficult opposition.
Mikhail Youzhny likes the grass and has plenty of weapons to hurt you with. At 31 he knows his chances will not last forever so he will see this as a big opportunity.
I think maybe Andy’s hardest matches would be today and in the semi-finals, but if he was to meet Fernando Verdasco in the quarters he would have to beware his huge lefthanded forehand.
My feeling is that Andy is ready for these challenges. I will wish him the best — and I will have plenty of understanding for him.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/te...fried-Tsonga--Andy-Murray-added-pressure.html
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