Andy Murray Admits to Feeling Extra Pressure on Clay
Andy Murray says he is feeling the pressure at the French Open because opponents go into matches on clay thinking they can beat him
Andy Murray, having won his first match in straight sets against Argentina's Juan Ignacio Chela, will be looking to make another sharp and incisive start on Wednesday against Italy's Potito Starace. "There's a little bit of extra pressure on clay," the world No3 admitted, "because I guess a lot of guys go into the match thinking they can beat me, whereas on other surfaces I've been very tough to beat over the past year."
Starace achieved some notoriety last year when he became one of five Italian players fined and banned for off-court betting. On court he reached a couple of clay-court finals two years ago, though in his current form Murray will be confident of reaching the last 32, the point at which he lost against Spain's Nicolás Almagro last year. "The more matches I play on clay the more I understand how to win, how to move and the best way to beat certain opponents. Tactically I've always been very good," Murray added.
Rafael Nadal, the four-time champion, and Roger Federer made comfortable starts with straight-sets wins today. Nadal, in pink with yellow wrist and head bands, defeated Brazil's Marcos Daniel 7-5, 6-4, 6-3 and Federer, more soberly attired, beat Spain's Alberto Martín 6-4, 6-3, 6-2.
Maria Sharapova, unseeded and playing in her first slam since Wimbledon last year after shoulder surgery, won 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 over Anastasiya Yakimova of Belarus. Sharapova, who once described her movement on clay as "like a cow on ice", may do well, however, to get past her fellow Russian, Nadia Petrova, in the second round."People think that you have surgery and you wake up and you're fine," said the former world No1. "There's a lot of work getting your strength back. I think if I was a mentally weak individual, I wouldn't be here today. I'd be on some island with a nice cold Pina Colada. But I love being here, and there's no better feeling than waving to the crowd after you've won." The No3 seed Venus Williams dropped a set as she progressed to the second round with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 win over Bethanie Mattek-Sands.
Starace achieved some notoriety last year when he became one of five Italian players fined and banned for off-court betting. On court he reached a couple of clay-court finals two years ago, though in his current form Murray will be confident of reaching the last 32, the point at which he lost against Spain's Nicolás Almagro last year. "The more matches I play on clay the more I understand how to win, how to move and the best way to beat certain opponents. Tactically I've always been very good," Murray added.
Rafael Nadal, the four-time champion, and Roger Federer made comfortable starts with straight-sets wins today. Nadal, in pink with yellow wrist and head bands, defeated Brazil's Marcos Daniel 7-5, 6-4, 6-3 and Federer, more soberly attired, beat Spain's Alberto Martín 6-4, 6-3, 6-2.
Maria Sharapova, unseeded and playing in her first slam since Wimbledon last year after shoulder surgery, won 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 over Anastasiya Yakimova of Belarus. Sharapova, who once described her movement on clay as "like a cow on ice", may do well, however, to get past her fellow Russian, Nadia Petrova, in the second round."People think that you have surgery and you wake up and you're fine," said the former world No1. "There's a lot of work getting your strength back. I think if I was a mentally weak individual, I wouldn't be here today. I'd be on some island with a nice cold Pina Colada. But I love being here, and there's no better feeling than waving to the crowd after you've won." The No3 seed Venus Williams dropped a set as she progressed to the second round with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 win over Bethanie Mattek-Sands.
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