Andy Murray Hits Stride and Loses It in Unconvincing Win Over Potito Scarace
The British world No3 has beaten his Italian opponent in Paris but suffered an alarming dip in form
For a set and half it seemed as if Andy Murray might be slip-sliding his way out of the French Open yesterday. Movement is the key to his game and on clay those certainties of footing and balance, second nature on hard courts or grass, are partly missing. This breeds uncertainty in his mind and uncertainty leads to loss of focus. But he pulled himself out of the mire against Italy's Potito Starace and tomorrow will attempt to reach the last 16 at Roland Garros for the first time, against Serbia's Janko Tipsarevic.
"My aim is to make the second week and I need just one more win to do that. Then maybe I can assess my goals and look to go deep into the tournament," said Murray. "I knew that it was going to be a difficult match. I had to play well to come through."
Murray won 6–3, 2–6, 7–5, 6–4, though he had been 5–1 down in the third set, winning only two games out of 13 when his level dropped alarmingly. At one point he lost balance, rolling over on the clay as he attempted to chase down one of Starace's many perfectly executed drop shots.
The Italian, ranked outside the top 100, is not a star but was awkward on this, his best, surface. However, it was not so much that he raised his game as that Murray's dropped several fold. A year ago Murray might have lost this match. "The thing I have been happiest about this year on clay is that I have always had chances to win," he said. Starace tacitly agreed. "Apart from Nadal I think he could beat anybody. After all he is No3 in the world."
On another cold and blustery morning the crowd inat the Court Philippe-Chatrier was not huge, though those who were there quickly warmed to Murray's ability, even if they became a little confused at his sharp loss of form after such a good opening. For the moment they are reserving judgment while Murray clearly hopes to win them over with his own particular style of cat‑and-mouse tennis.
"People aren't going to come to watch if they don't think they're going to enjoy it. There are a lot of ways you can entertain. You can do it through your emotions and the way you are on the court, like Marat Safin. He's a great player obviously but people want to watch him because of the way he is on court. He's an exciting character. Some people can go through matches without saying a whole lot but, because of their great tennis, people enjoy going to watch them. Someone like Fernando González, it's his shot-making that excites people. There's not just one way of doing it but people definitely come to be entertained."
Fabrice Santoro, one of the game's great entertainers, played his last singles match at Roland Garros, losing in four sets to Christophe Rochus, having made his debut 20 years ago. "I loved watching him," said Murray, "he's just so different and has been at the top level for so long, playing through a transition when a lot of people thought it was just all about power." If Santoro, the little magician, had possessed a touch more clout he might have made a much bigger impact. Murray, although nothing like as unorthodox, has a similar ability to manoeuvre the ball but also possesses power, which is why he is expected to win at the highest level.
Murray is also a fighter, an attribute Maria Sharapova has in abundance. The former world No1, three times a major champion, has rarely been at her best on clay and has never endeared herself to the French crowds. Shoulder surgery has left her short of practice, yet she overcame her fellow Russian Nadia Petrova, the 11th seed, 6–2, 1–6, 8–6 to reach the third round. This year, in adversity, she is becoming the new darling.
"My aim is to make the second week and I need just one more win to do that. Then maybe I can assess my goals and look to go deep into the tournament," said Murray. "I knew that it was going to be a difficult match. I had to play well to come through."
Murray won 6–3, 2–6, 7–5, 6–4, though he had been 5–1 down in the third set, winning only two games out of 13 when his level dropped alarmingly. At one point he lost balance, rolling over on the clay as he attempted to chase down one of Starace's many perfectly executed drop shots.
The Italian, ranked outside the top 100, is not a star but was awkward on this, his best, surface. However, it was not so much that he raised his game as that Murray's dropped several fold. A year ago Murray might have lost this match. "The thing I have been happiest about this year on clay is that I have always had chances to win," he said. Starace tacitly agreed. "Apart from Nadal I think he could beat anybody. After all he is No3 in the world."
On another cold and blustery morning the crowd inat the Court Philippe-Chatrier was not huge, though those who were there quickly warmed to Murray's ability, even if they became a little confused at his sharp loss of form after such a good opening. For the moment they are reserving judgment while Murray clearly hopes to win them over with his own particular style of cat‑and-mouse tennis.
"People aren't going to come to watch if they don't think they're going to enjoy it. There are a lot of ways you can entertain. You can do it through your emotions and the way you are on the court, like Marat Safin. He's a great player obviously but people want to watch him because of the way he is on court. He's an exciting character. Some people can go through matches without saying a whole lot but, because of their great tennis, people enjoy going to watch them. Someone like Fernando González, it's his shot-making that excites people. There's not just one way of doing it but people definitely come to be entertained."
Fabrice Santoro, one of the game's great entertainers, played his last singles match at Roland Garros, losing in four sets to Christophe Rochus, having made his debut 20 years ago. "I loved watching him," said Murray, "he's just so different and has been at the top level for so long, playing through a transition when a lot of people thought it was just all about power." If Santoro, the little magician, had possessed a touch more clout he might have made a much bigger impact. Murray, although nothing like as unorthodox, has a similar ability to manoeuvre the ball but also possesses power, which is why he is expected to win at the highest level.
Murray is also a fighter, an attribute Maria Sharapova has in abundance. The former world No1, three times a major champion, has rarely been at her best on clay and has never endeared herself to the French crowds. Shoulder surgery has left her short of practice, yet she overcame her fellow Russian Nadia Petrova, the 11th seed, 6–2, 1–6, 8–6 to reach the third round. This year, in adversity, she is becoming the new darling.
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