Why is Murray good on grass/bad on clay and Djokovic vice versa?

[papertank]

Why is Murray better on grass than clay and Djokovic vice versa?

Considering they supposedly have such similar games.

Clarification: I didn't mean Djokovic is bad on grass. I just mean relative to his clay and hard court game, his grass game is weaker. Same goes for Murray, he's not exactly bad on clay but he is worse on it than any other surface.

 

[norbac]

It's all in the movement.

For Djokovic it is harder to play top class defense on grass as he does on clay and HC due to the difficulty he has sliding on the surface.

Murray, along the same lines, cannot move all that well on clay.

 

[Anaconda]

Djokovic is great on every surface, is the OP on crack?

 

[zam88]

Djokavic - 2011 Wimbledon Champion, 2012 Wimbledon Semifinalist who lost to the eventual winner = bad on grass?

sheesh, everyone else should probably just kill themselves if those are "bad" results

 

[Goosehead]

Wimbledon titles...1 Djokovic,
Wimbledon titles...0 Murray,

= OP..EPIC FAIL.

 

[Anaconda]

Djokavic - 2011 Wimbledon Champion, 2012 Wimbledon Semifinalist who lost to the eventual winner = bad on grass?

sheesh, everyone else should probably just kill themselves if those are "bad" results

2007 - SF had to retire but puts up fight against Nadal
2008 - made the Queens final and lost to Safin at Wimbledon, who played solid.

 

[Chace]

Considering they supposedly have such similar games.

How can someone that's won Wimbledon be considered bad on grass?

 

[Joseph L. Barrow]

Djokovic has won Wimbledon and had three semifinal finishes there; he is not bad on grass. For that matter, Murray isn't bad on clay either, though he is subpar there for a player of his level.

Nevertheless, the opening poster would have a valid point if he phrased his idea in a somewhat less overstated way-- "Why does Murray prefer grass to clay, while Djokovic prefers clay to grass?" On that count, I do think Norbac has the right idea; Djokovic's defense relies more on sliding into strokes than Murray's does, and clay is friendly to the sliding style, while grass is not.

 

[NEW_BORN]

Djokovic slides to cover the court
Murray runs to cover the court

Djokovic can't slide effectively on grass
Murray can't run properly on clay

Djokovic's biggest strength is nullified on grass
Murray's biggest strength is nullified on clay

 

[90's Clay]

Umm..

Nole has a wimbledon title.

Where's Murray's?

 

[papertank]

Updated the original post with a clarification. I didn't mean to say Djokovic is bad on grass, only that it is worst surface when comparing it to his clay and hard games. That said I think when all is said and done Murray will be considered the better grass courter by far.

 

[xan]

lots of what ifs lately.