Andy Murray New ATP World Ranking - January 2007

Andy Muray's new ATP world ranking is 14. Well done Andy!

Moving up one place for getting to the fourth round of a Grand Slam may seem stingy but, of course, the higher you move up the world ranking the harder it gets to move up.

As you may have heard by now, Murray will not be playing in Zagreb to give a blister (picked up during the Australian Open) time to heal. It looks like his next tournament will be San Jose which Murray will enter as the holder.

This is the first time Murray has had an ATP title to defend. He'll be up for it, but it means that he has a lot of ranking points to defend if he's going to maintain his push into the top ten.

Whatever happens next month it's worth remembering that in 2006 between San Jose and Wimbledon, Murray went on a lean streak. This means that Murray has the opportunity to pick up a lot of ranking points over the next few months and a real chance to break into the top ten before the French Open.

Source:
BBC SPORT | Tennis | Murray rises to new ranking high

RESULT: Murray Vs Nadal - 4th Round - Australian Open 2007

7-6(3) 4-6 6-4 3-6 1-6

So disappointed for Murray, but I'm pleased he's managed to remain upbeat.

It was an awesome performance from both players with some unbelievable quality in the rallies. Even a five-set score doesn't really tell the story of how close the match was in terms of ability.

The overal difference came down to Nadal taking more of his break point opportunities (sound like the Doha final?) and having a touch more fitness going into the fifth set.

Here's a quick overview of the match:

SET 1:
Murray made little in-roads on the Nadal serve, but managed to hold his own serve well. With Nadal 6-5 up, he found a break - and set - point. Murray held well to force the tie-break.

Two successful hawkeye challenges, some great serving and Murray powered through the tie-break 7-3.

SET 2:
Murray mixed up the play so well and showed an incredible range of shots. A break and a hold and Murray found himself 4-1 up and Nadal floundering.

Then Nadal stepped up a gear and, at the same time, Murray seemed to be struggling with a pain in his side. It's hard to say if this affected his game or not, but his 1st serve percentage dropped dramatically and Nadal won five games in a row to take the second set 6-4

SET 3:
Another break for Nadal and things looked ominous. But Murray picked up his form again and broke back.

At four games all, Nadal had two break points. Murray saved them both and then immediately broke Nadal to win the third set 6-4. Amazing tennis as the players seemed to take it in turns to be in the ascendency.

SET 4:
Murray had break point galore in this set, but couldn't convert any of them. This made the difference and Nadal only had to break once to take the fourth set 6-3.

SET 5:
After three and a half hours Murray was still going strong, but Nadal suddenly seemed to be running faster and hitting harder than ever. An immediate break and hold from Nadal saw him go two games up.

Agonisingly in the next game, Murray had five break points, but couldn't convert any of them. The most excruciating point was when Nadal's shot seemed to be going wide, but Murray opted to take the volley on. The point should still have been won, but it clipped the net cord and sat up perfectly for Nadal.

The quality of the tennis was still high, but Nadal just had the edge and broke again. Murray managed to hold his next service game, but couldn't stop Nadal from serving it out. After winning the final point with an awesome shot, Nadal fell to the floor as if he'd just won the final.

Nadal was full of praise for Murray in the post-match interview and Murray was pleasingly upbeat about his performance and his ability to push the world number two all the way.

-----------------------

I can't wait for Murray's next tournament.

Murray has so much confidence right now and if he carries this level of ability through, then I think the majority of the time, Murray will cruise through against opponents outisde of the top 20.

I said at the beginning of the year that Muray will break into the top ten. This seems more likely then ever.

I'm going to make another prediction now:

Before the end of the year, Murray will win at least three ATP titles and will reach his first Grand Slam final.

Remember, you heard it here first ;-)

Post your predictions for Murray for 2007 in the comments section.

Andy Murray Vs Rafael Nadal - 4th Round - Australian Open 2007

Here it is then - we're less than an hour away from Murray vs Nadal (2).

Nadal will be favourite (just) with greater experience and greater strength and stamina. It will be a year or two before Murray is at his physical peak.

But there are two things about Murray's performance against Chela that - if he can carry them through to this match - will give Nadal some problems.

1) The Serve

Up to 70% of first serves in and Murray wins a lot of points when his first serve goes in. Against Chela, again and again Murray kicked the serve out wide dragging his opponent out of position and then fired the returned ball to the opposite side of the court. Nadal is fast, but no-one's fast enough to chase those balls down if done correctly.

2) Defence

On the rallies when Chela was in control, dragging Murray from one side to the other, Murray showed his speed and his defensive skills. His blocked returns were landing so deep that Murray was frequently able to turn defence into attack.

If Muray can bring these skills to today's game then it will be a close game.

If Murray can also mix up the play as he does so well and frustrate Nadal's rhythm then (and I'm probably nuts for suggesting this) I think Murray could win convincingly.

I'm reminded of Nadal's match against Kendrick last Wimbledon. Kendrick won the first two sets by constantly going for the big shots. He missed as many as he made, but the lack of rhythm frustrated Nadal.

But here's the rub. Nadal had the fitness to stay in the match and win the next three sets. If - and it's a big if - Murray gets two sets up on Nadal, it is imperative that he doesn't let up the way he did a little bit against Chela in the beginning of the third. Physically Nadal can outlast just about anybody in the world.

If Murray is going to win, he needs to do it swiftly.
Murray Vs Nadal is on:

- BBC 2
- BBCi
- British Eurosport
- BBC Radio FiveLive

Sharapova is one set up and a break up in the second against Zvonareva. That means we could be only 30 mins away from the start. Bring it!

RESULT: Andy Murray Vs Juan Ignacio Chela - 3rd Round - Australian Open 2007

Didn't get into work this weekend so apologies for the late post.

Obviously you know by now that Murray defeated Chela 6-3 6-2 6-4. I managed to watch a recording on Saturday afternoon without finding out the result beforehand, so I had some decent entertainment.

The result makes it look like Murray was comfortable, but the truth is that Murray was RIDICULOUSLY comfortable. Looking at the players it seemed hard to imagine how Chela had got as far as he had.

That's not meant to insult Chela, but I think Murray does that to a lot of players. He mixed up the pace of the rallies so much that Chela couldn't find a rhythm. At no point did Murray ever look out of control of this match. The only blip came in the third set when the players traded breaks, but this seemed to be as much a touch of boredom forcing a lack of concentration on Murray's part.

Murray got to show most of his range of shots - even coming into the net and showing some razor-sharp volleying. Murray is at his absolute best at the moment and if he can carry that through into the Nadal match - then the world number two could have his hands full.

UPDATE: Andy Murray Vs Juan Ignacio Chela - 3rd Round - Australian Open 2007

The schedule for day 6 says Murray and Chela are 4th out on the MCA court. This means an evening start (no earlier than 8:30am UK time) in Australia which also means that the conditions will favour Murray.

This should be the toughest match so far but, with Murray's current confidence and form, I don't see why this can't finish up another straight sets victory.

As before you should be able to catch this on British Eurosport or BBCi (online) from 8:30am (UK Time) on Saturday morning.

Here's a quick update on who Murray could be facing in future rounds based on who's still in the draw:

3rd Round:
The seeded player for this section is Jarko Nieminen (18).

Murray won their match in last years Canada Master Series, two sets to one. This should be the first real test for Murray.

Juan Ignacio Chela is the man who put Nieminen out and also Murray in the first round last year. Revenge is best served on a balmy Australian evening in front of a crowd of Murray fans.

4th Round:
Finally! This could be the tournament when Murray plays his first match against Nadal (2).

Nadal is carrying a slight injury which could favour Murray, but this would be a really exciting match-up.If Nadal's injury gets the better of him before the fourth round then Wawrinka (40) or Vliegen (37) could be the opposition.

Nadal came through a tough match against Kohlschrieber - who by the way was playing superb tennis - in four sets with no sign of injury. Unless Wawrinka pulls off a shock upset, Murray Vs Nadal is definitely on.

Qtr-Finals:
If Nadal does go out early then Murray could reach the Qtr-Finals without playing anyone ranked above him. This stage, however, could be James Blake (5), Lleyton Hewitt (19) or Fernando Gonzalez (9).

Murray has yet to play Blake, so this is a match I would like to see. Of course, a meeting with the home favourite Hewitt would also be a crowd pleaser.

All of the above are through but, while Gonzalez and Hewitt are making hard work of their matches, Blake is just cruising.

Semi-Finals:
64 possible opponents for Murray by this stage, but you'd expect it to be one of the top seeds.

Davydenko (3), Nalbandian (8), Haas (12) or Berdych (13) are all possibilities. Murray has yet to play Haas, but I'd prefer Nalbandian. It's about time Murray reversed THAT Wimbledon result.

Again, all the above are still in it and all are playing well. Really hard to call this one, but I still have a hunch about Nalbandian.

Final:
Take a wild guess. Don't let Roddick's victory in last weeks exhibition tournament fool you - this will be Federer (1) all the way.

If by some miracle it's not Federer, then expect Roddick (7) or even last years runner-up, Baghdatis (11).

Baghdatis is out and - as I type - Roddick is playing what could be a looong match against Safin (currently one set each). I think Roddick is the only player in this half of the draw that could trouble Federer so as long as Roddick stays in the draw then there will always be a slight question mark over who will appear in the final - especially as Federer showed just a touch of vulnerability in his last set.

It'll still probably end up being Federer though.

Andy Murray Vs Juan Ignacio Chela - 3rd Round - Australian Open 2007

Chela (33) dumped out Nieminen and so will be Murray's next opponent.

To be honest, this should have been the match I really wanted as this is a chance for Murray to avenge his straight sets defeat in the first round of Murray Vs Chela - Australian Open 2006.

Murray and Chela have played since then in the Murray Vs Chela - Paris Masters 2006. Murray won in straight sets on that occasion with a bagel to boot. This match should be closer, but I still fancy Murray to have too much class for the Argentinian.

A lot of this will come down to when the match is played. An evening match - when it's cooler - and Murray will be a cert. An early match will hand a big advantage to Chela who is more accustomed to the heat.

I'll post again once the schedule is up.

RESULT: Andy Murray Vs Fernando Verdasco - 2nd Round - Australian Open 2007

Not as pretty from Murray by all acccounts with plenty of breaks of serve on both sides and the first serve percentage in the pits again. A combination of tenacious play from Verdasco and a blisteringly hot Australian sun making for a long and scrappy match.

Nevertheless, Murray won in straight sets 7-6 (7-4), 7-5, 6-4.

The reporter on BBC radio this morning praised Murray for coming back from behind in the first two sets (1-3 down in the first set and 1-4 down in the second) and showing great ability to change his tactics when needed.

Two rounds done then and Murray has yet to drop a set. Right now I think most players will be looking at Murray and wondering just how well and just how hard you have to play to win three sets against him.

Source:
BBC SPORT | Tennis | Murray through with scrappy win

Andy Murray Vs Fernando Verdasco - 2nd Round - Australian Open 2007

As previously mentioned, Murray has met Verdasco (35) once before at a challenger back in 2003.

Verdasco was a straight sets winner on that occasion but you can expect things to go down a little differently tomorrow.

Murray is due out in the Vodafone Area third after two Women's matches. This means 2am (UK time) is the absolutely earliest you can expect, but sometime between 2:30 and 3:30 is a safer bet.

If you're a night owl then you should be able to catch this on British Eurosport or BBCi. I have work tomorrow, so I'll be finding out the result when I get up tomorrow - hopefully it'll be good news.

Here's a quick update on how the draw is progressing. My original predictions are in black and the updates are in red.

1st Round:
Andy Murray Vs Alberto Martin

This is their first meeting. Unless Murray gets off to a slow start anything less than a straight sets victory would be a surprise.

Got this one right, although I didn't expect it would be quite so comprehensive.

2nd Round:
Fernando Verdasco (35) or Paul-Henri Mathieu (47).

Murray played Verdasco in a challenger back in 2003. Verdasco won in straight sets, but thats hardly an indicator of how a re-match would play out. No idea who I'd prefer in this match-up. Neither would be a cinch, but with Murrays form there's no question he would be favourite.

Verdasco it is then.

3rd Round:
The seeded player for this section is Jarko Nieminen (18).

Murray won their match in last years Canada Master Series, two sets to one. This should be the first real test for Murray.

Nieminen is still in the draw - so this still looks likely.

4th Round:
Finally! This could be the tournament when Murray plays his first match against Nadal (2).

Nadal is carrying a slight injury which could favour Murray, but this would be a really exciting match-up.If Nadal's injury gets the better of him before the fourth round then Wawrinka (40) or Vliegen (37) could be the opposition.

No problems for Nadal so far. Wawrinka is still in the draw, but if Nadal doesn't get to the 4th round it would be a shock.

Qtr-Finals:
If Nadal does go out early then Murray could reach the Qtr-Finals without playing anyone ranked above him. This stage, however, could be James Blake (5), Lleyton Hewitt (19) or Fernando Gonzalez (9).

Murray has yet to play Blake, so this is a match I would like to see. Of course, a meeting with the home favourite Hewitt would also be a crowd pleaser.

Hewitt is making hard work of things and Blake is cruising. I'd go for Blake at this stage.

Semi-Finals:
64 possible opponents for Murray by this stage, but you'd expect it to be one of the top seeds.Davydenko (3), Nalbandian (8), Haas (12) or Berdych (13) are all possibilities.

Murray has yet to play Haas, but I'd prefer Nalbandian. It's about time Murray reversed THAT Wimbledon result.

All the above are still in the draw and, yes, I'm still routing for a Nalbandian match-up.

Final:
Take a wild guess. Don't let Roddick's victory in last weeks exhibition tournament fool you - this will be Federer (1) all the way.If by some miracle it's not Federer, then expect Roddick (7) or even last years runner-up, Baghdatis (11).

Federer is still the obvious choice, but no chance of meeting Baghdatis. He lost to Monfils in four sets today.

Result: Andy Murray Vs Alberto Martin - 1st Round - Australian Open 2007

The most entertaining moment was when Martin was serving to stay in the match. Murray made a couple of sloppy shots and absolutely berated himself for it - despite the fact that he'd just won the last 17 games in a row!

Just one game shy of the complete bagel, Murray cruised into the second round 6-0 6-0 6-1. The whole match took just 1hr and 10 mins.

A combination of Martin having a shocker and Murray just in complete control of the match and full of confidence.

Bear in mind that Martin is not a wildcard or a qualifier. This is a guy ranked 60 in the world and Murray just ruthlessly tore him apart. Hopefully this will send a ripple through the tournament and his next opponent (still to be decided) will be quaking in his trainers before a ball is even hit.

A great start for Murray and I get the feeling this could be a good tournament.

Andy Murray @ The Australia Open 2007 - Route to the Final

UPDATE: I'm up! As I type, Blake is two sets up on Moya and it's going by serve in the third (2-1 to Moya). Murray's match will follow this game so it all depends on how this match progresses. If Blake closes things out quickly, Murray could be on court within the next 45 mins. If this turns into a five-set slog, then it could be a couple of hours.

You can keep an eye on the proceedings at:

Australian Open Official Site - With LiveScore

BBC Website - Audio or Video (your choice)



UPDATE: My mistake - Melbourne is 11 hours ahead of the UK a the moment (I can never figure out BST) so Murray will be on court on Tuesday, some time after 8:30am.

The fun bit about the start of a Grand Slam is checking out the draw and working out Murray's potential clashes in future rounds.

So here's my comprehensive, wholy unscientific look at what could be in store over the next couple of weeks:

1st Round:
Andy Murray Vs Alberto Martin

This is their first meeting. Unless Murray gets off to a slow start anything less than a straight sets victory would be a surprise.

2nd Round:
Fernando Verdasco (35) or Paul-Henri Mathieu (47). Murray played Verdasco in a challenger back in 2003. Verdasco won in straight sets, but thats hardly an indicator of how a re-match would play out. No idea who I'd prefer in this match-up. Neither would be a cinch, but with Murrays form there's no question he would be favourite.

3rd Round:
The seeded player for this section is Jarko Nieminen (18). Murray won their match in last years Canada Master Series, two sets to one. This should be the first real test for Murray.

4th Round:
Finally! This could be the tournament when Murray plays his first match against Nadal (2). Nadal is carrying a slight injury which could favour Murray, but this would be a really exciting match-up.

If Nadal's injury gets the better of him before the fourth round then Wawrinka (40) or Vliegen (37) could be the opposition.

Qtr-Finals:
If Nadal does go out early then Murray could reach the Qtr-Finals without playing anyone ranked above him. This stage, however, could be James Blake (5), Lleyton Hewitt (19) or Fernando Gonzalez (9).

Murray has yet to play Blake, so this is a match I would like to see. Of course, a meeting with the home favourite Hewitt would also be a crowd pleaser.

Semi-Finals:
64 possible opponents for Murray by this stage, but you'd expect it to be one of the top seeds.

Davydenko (3), Nalbandian (8), Haas (12) or Berdych (13) are all possibilities. Murray has yet to play Haas, but I'd prefer Nalbandian. It's about time Murray reversed THAT Wimbledon result.

Final:
Take a wild guess. Don't let Roddick's victory in last weeks exhibition tournament fool you - this will be Federer (1) all the way.

If by some miracle it's not Federer, then expect Roddick (7) or even last years runner-up, Baghdatis (11).


So there you go - that's my comprehensive preview of the Australian Open. After each round I'll update these predictions to take into account which players are still in the tournament.

Murray's first round match should be available on Eurosport and on BBC Interactive. Set your alarm clock - the 2007 tennis season starts tomorrow.

UPDATE: Andy Murray Vs Alberto Martin - 1st Round - Australian Open 2007

The schedule of play for day 2 of the Australian Open is up on the official website and Murray vs Martin is scheduled to be played - not before 7:30pm.

Melbourne is GMT +10, so I reckon that means Murray scheduled start time will be some time after 8:30am on Tuesday morning.

One or two newspapers are already tipping Murray as an outside bet to win. A little optimistic maybe, but I'll go along with that for now.

Just one upset on the first day of play as Ljubicic crashed out in four sets to Mardy Fish.

Give me a few minutes and I'll plot out Murray's route to the final.

Source:
Australian Open - Official Site - Schedule Day 2

Result: Murray Vs Safin - AAMI Classic 2007

The official site has Murray victorious over Safin, 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 , putting Murray in third place overall in the exhibition tournament.

A great fortnight of tennis for Andy, only losing two matches and beating two top-five players in the process (Ljubicic & Davydenko).

Anticipation for the Australian Open grows!

Source:
Results | AAMI Classic Kooyong 2007

Andy Murray Vs Alberto Martin - 1st Round - Australian Open 2007

The draw is out and Murray will be playing Alberto Martin (60) in the first round. This is their first meeting.

Apparently Murray doesn't like looking ahead to who he might play in later rounds. This is sensible for the player but, for everyone else, on Monday I'll be posting a detailed look at who Murray might be playing in later rounds.

I can't remember the exact page, but an article in the Telegraph said that a semi-final appearance in the Australian Open could be enough to put Murray inside the top ten. A long shot maybe, but don't bet against it.

Source:
BBC SPORT | Tennis | Murray gets good Aussie Open draw

Result: Murray Vs Roddick - AAMI Classic 2007

Roddick wins this one 6-4 6-4. Again, no details about how the result played out, except a transcript of the post-match interview.

Murray will play Marat Safin (26) in the third place play-off, very early Saturday morning (about 3am UK Time).

Result: Murray Vs Ljubicic - AAMI Classic 2007

The good news is that Murray avenged his defeat in Qatar by defeating Ljubicic 6-2 6-4.

The bad news is that I'm struggling to find any real news about how the match played out. Even the official website has nothing to say by way of review.

I'll keep looking but, in the meanwhile, warm yourself with the fact that Murray is warming up very nicely for the Australian Open next week.

Murray's next match is against Andy Roddick (6) and will be played very early on Friday morning.

In other news, the seedings for the Australian Open have been released and Murray has been placed 15th. This predicts a 4th round appearance, but I have a feeling Murray can top this.

Source:
BBC SPORT | Tennis | Murray seeded 15 for Aussie Open

AAMI Classic - Kooyong, Melbourne, Australia

Not an ATP tournament, so no ranking points available, but a great chance to warm-up for the Australian Open with some of the top players.

The full line-up includes:

- Roger Federer
- Andy Roddick
- David Nalbandian
- Ivan Ljubicic
- Marat Safin
- Tommy Haas
- Radek Stepanek
- Andy Murray

I can't claim to understand how the competition works, but Murray is guaranteed at least three games and his first is against... wait for it... Ivan Ljubicic.

Can anyone say "re-match".

This match is scheduled for tomorrow and play starts at, I think, 01:00 am (UK Time). Murray and Ljubicic are fourth out on court, so it's possible the match will be played sometime after 07:00 am (UK Time).

No idea about TV coverage or even Live Score, but with this being an exhibition match, don't hold your breath. If anyone knows of a way to track this match, please post a comment.

Result: Murray Vs Ljubicic - Final - Qatar Open 2007

I'm sure you know the result by now (Ljubicic won 6-4 6-4), but curiously this is probably the first time I've watched Murray lose and not felt totally gutted.

I can only put this down to the fact that Murray played really well. There was no collapse, no slow start, nothing like the Wimbledon match against Baghdatis. Ljubicic just played better.

In my opinion, for 95% of the match, Ljubicic played his best tennis. And for 95% of the match, Murray matched him.

This was a looong two set match (1hr 48mins) with some looong rallys and some incredible play. One lengthy rally caused the commentator to brand it the "rally of the tournament". As with the rest of match, Ljubicic had to pull something out of the top draw to win it.

The telling statistic for me was "Break Points Won". Murray's was 1/9 - Ljubicic 3/9

Ljubicic won the crucial points, Murray didn't take enough of his chances. But, again, this was mainly due to some superb play from Ljubicic, rather than any real deficiencies in Murray's play.

After this match and the one against Davydenko, I don't think there can be any doubt that Murray is a, soon-to-be, Top Ten player.

Well done Murray! A great start to the year.

This week Murray will play at least three exhibition matches. Next week is the Australian Open.

I'll post the draw as soon as I get it.

Andy Murray Vs Ivan Ljubicic - Final - Qatar Open 2007

UPDATE:

Murray Vs Ljubicic will begin at approximately 3pm (UK Time) and is live on British Eurosport.

An explosive start to the 2007 season sees Murray in his fourth ATP final, where he will face Ivan Ljubicic (5).

Ljubicic needed three sets to come through against his semi-final opponent, Soderling. By all accounts, a shakey performance, but he managed an amazing five aces in the deciding tie-break.

In previous encounters both players have one win a piece. Murray is the most recent victor, defeating Ljubicic in the Madrid Masters 2006 in three sets.

The match will be live on British Eurosport and if today's play is anything to go by, it should start around 2:45 (UK time). Don't rule out an earlier start time though - I'll post again tomorrow morning to confirm this.

Result: Murray Vs Davydenko - Semi-Final - Qatar Open 2007

Murray picked up his first win against Davydenko and did it in straight sets to boot: 7-5 6-2

Both players started strongly, but Davydenko especially looked flawless and it was no surprise when he broke Murray early in the first set to go 3-2 up.

Murray responded by winning five of the next seven games (breaking Davydenko twice) to take the first set. Whether it was frustration over Murray's Davydenko or a slight injury (Davydenko had both ankles strapped mid-way through the first set), but the Russian just faded away in the second set.

A lot of forced errors combined with Murray's insistence on chasing every... single... shot... Murray's insistence on making Davydenko play just one more shot paid dividends and despite losing a break, Murray just raced through the second set to reach his fourth ATP final.

Andy Murray Vs Nikolay Davydenko - Semi Final - Qatar Open 2007

The official website still hasn't updated but AndyMurray.com is reporting that Murray & Davydenko are second on court with play beginning at 2:40 (UK time).

So that means the earliest start is about 4:15, but will likely be a bit later.

In case you don't already know, Davydenko has beaten Murray in both of their previous encounters, but Murray took a set in each.

British Eurosport are screening the match so finish work early, grab the popcorn and put your feet up. This could be the tie of the tournament so far.

Result: Murray Vs Mirnyi - Qtr-Finals - Qatar Open 2007

As on Monday, Murray dropped the opening set, but again showed his quality to win the next two.

I only caught the last set, but Murray (although still looking a little tired) looked far more comfortable than the first round. His baseline shots were agressive and the passing shots were just great to see.

There was one moment of magic mid-way through the final set, when Mirnyi hit a shot low and to Murray's left, mid-way inside the court. Murray had to stretch with lightning reflexes just to get a volley on it... incredibly, Murray turned the shot into a perfect lob that just looped over the tall Belarus player. Mirnyi recovered just enough to get back and get his racquet on the ball, but he couldn't keep it inside the court.

That's just one of the reasons why Murray is such an exciting player to watch.

The final score was 2-6 6-2 6-2. Murray lost the opening four games and was broken in the first game of the second set, before clawing his way back into the match.

Murray broke early in the second set, but the final hurdle came when Murray missed a good opportunity to break Mirnyi again and the set stood at 4-2 (rather than 5-1). Mirnyi attacked the net and took the score to 0-40.

Murray showed immense composure on the next three points to bring it back to deuce. Mirnyi got back to advantage, but Murray saved a fourth break point before going on to hold his serve. Mirnyi seemed to lose heart while, at the same time, Murray went in the kill, breaking to love to book his place in the semi-finals.

As expected then, Mikolay Davydenko (3), the number one seed for this tournament is the opponent and the match will be played today. No order of play yet, but I'll post it as soon as I have it.

Murray had to play his doubles match immediately after this one. I don't know if that had an impact on the match, but Team Murray lost 6-3 6-4 to Youznhy and Zimonjic.

At the very least then, Murray can boast two semi-finals in his opening week of 2007. Exactly the start his supporters hoped for.

One more thing worth mentioning is Murray's 1st serve percentage. Overall it was an impressive 70%. In the second set it was as high as 82%!

I can't comment on the second set, but in the third it did appear as if Murray was just holding back a little bit on the power in his serve. The commentator seemed to think this was due to the fact that he's still suffering with a cold, but I couldn't help wondering if the tactic was deliberate.

Mirnyi's strengths don't include a strong service return, so the 10-15% dip in power didn't help him and it allowed Murray a great deal more consistency.

A new tactic maybe? I guess we'll know when Murray plays in a tournament while fully fit.

Source:
AndyMurray.com - Andy and Jamie go out…
BBC SPORT | Tennis | Murray fights back to beat Mirnyi

Andy Murray Vs Max Mirnyi - Qtr-Finals - Qatar Open 2007

The last time Murray played Mirnyi (59) was in the Nottingham Open 2006 - Murray won in straight sets.

Mirnyi is an experienced pro, but Murray should be favourite to come thorough and set up a likely semi-final against Davydenko (3).

Murray is third out on court, so any time after 4pm (UK time) and British Eurosport is still your best bet.

Somewhat annoyingly, regardless of the result, Murray will have to come straight back on court to play his doubles semi-final against Youznhy & Zimonjic.

Result: Murray Vs Rochus - 2nd Rnd Qatar Open 2007

The top six seeds are all through to the Qtr-Finals and Murray took just 1 hour and 20 minutes to defeat Christophe Rochus 6-1 6-3.

I didn't get to see this one, but all the reports are saying this was a better performance than the one on Monday, despite a minor blip in the second set.

In the doubles, Andy & Jamie came through against Wawrinka and Baghdatis 4-6 6-1 10-5 and subsequently made it though to the semi-finals by defeating Fyrstenberg & Matkowski 4-6 6-2 11-9.

Source:
Qatar Open - Official Website
BBC SPORT | Tennis | Murray eases past Rochus in Qatar

Murray & Murray Vs Baghdatis & Wawrinka - 1st Rnd - Qatar Open 2007 (Doubles) - Update

Murray & Murray are third on court today. Play starts at about 12:15 (UK time).

They could be out on court as early as 4pm (UK time), but 5-6pm seems more likely. I doubt this will make Eurosport, but there's always livescore (see earlier post for the link).

Result: Murray Vs Volandri - 1st Rnd Qatar Open 2007

A little rusty and a little viral fatigue, but too good for Volandri. Murray wins 4-6 6-2 6-4.

After trading breaks in the first half, Murray lost another break advantage to allow Volandri to steal the first set. Some good tennis from Murray and a first serve percentage of 67, but too many simple mistakes gifted the advantage to Volandri.

In the second set, the first serve percentage dipped but Murray's overall quality started to show racing into a 5-1 lead before Volandri managed to notch up another game. This was a crucial hold for Volandri as, although he lost the second set, it meant he started the third set as server.

Volandri rallied well holding his first two serves easily and pressuring Murray on his own serve. Pleasingly, Murray was unshaken, and after breaking Volandri, he held his own serve confidently to win the match in just over an hour and three-quarters.

Not an earth-shattering result, but to open the season with a win - despite lacking some fitness - will be a big confidence boost for Murray. Particularly worthy of note is an overall serve percentage of 60%.

In the second round, Murray will play Christophe Rochus (78). This will be their first senior meeting.

Murray & Murray Vs Baghdatis & Wawrinka - 1st Rnd - Qatar Open 2007 (Doubles)

The Murray duo have a crunching first round tie. I'm not sure when this is scheduled to be played, but I would guess Tuesday at the earliest.

I'll keep on eye on this and post news as I get it.

Source:
Qatar 2007 Doubles - Main Draw

Andy Murray Vs Filippo Volandri - 1st Round - Qatar Open 2007

Ok - here's what you need to know.

- 32 Players.

- Murray is seeded 4th.

- Top seed is Davydenko who Muray could meet in the Semi-Finals.

- Andy is due to play today after Bagdhatis & Kohlschreiber have finished their match (currently 1 set to Bagdhatis, but he is a break down in the 2nd set) - anytime after 1:30 (UK Time)

- Murray's match could be on British Eurosport this afternoon, but don't hold your breath.

Andy Murray is playing Filippo Volandri (38) who is unseeded for this tournament. Volandri won their last meeting 6-4 6-4, but this was during Muray's dry spell. Health permitting, this should be a different story.

It's worrying that Murray is having to play his first match whilst suffering from a virus, but if he's well enough to play... let's hope that's a good sign. This is really just a warm up for the Australian Open, but it would be great for Murray to start off at a canter and signal his intent for 2007 to be a huge year.

Here are the links you need:

Main Draw
Official Qatar Open Website (Live Score available)
Player Comparison

Andy Murray's Back!

Who would have thought the tennis close season could go on for sooo long. Nothing to talk about except Andy running, Andy practising, Andy running some more...

But now we're back to the good stuff - watching Murray strut his stuff on the tennis court.

The bad news is that Murray is recovering from a virus, so he may be a bit off colour for this first match of the new season. The good news...

He's back! Aren't you paying attention?

FYI - Seeing as I've had nothing to post over the last few weeks, I've been looking at some of the tennis tips guides available online. You can check it out at http://www.thetennismaster.com