Djokovic Outlasts Murray To Take Title

When it comes down to survival of the fittest there are few better than Andy Murray. Novak Djokovic is one of those few.

He has now denied the talented Brit in three Australian Open finals and has shown no mercy in doing so, as he continues to redefine the boundaries and laws in the men’s game.

Djokovic won the battle of endurance in Australia

Victory over Murray in today’s final earned Djokovic his fifth title in Australia, his eighth Grand Slam overall, that’s the same amount as Agassi, Connors and Lendl. In this sort of form a ninth major won’t be too far away.

In a nutshell this was one of those déjà vu moments for Murray and for those of you who remember the final here two years ago or the pair’s meeting at the US Open back in September the storylines were pretty much identical.    

For two and a half hours the tennis was outstanding, but ultimately for Murray exhausting. Sets one and two were decided by tie breaks, one going either way. By the third Murray was fading, by the fourth totally spent as Djokovic’s battle-hardened body prevailed 7-6(5) 6-7(2) 6-3 6-0.

As a tournament of course this is progress for Murray, who was competing in his first slam final since his memorable Wimbledon triumph in 2013. However the way he collapsed when leading 2-0 in the third must be a cause for concern.

Like in his opening rounds Murray was aggressive from the off, attacking with his forehand, stepping up on the baseline whenever possible.

As often is the case when these two meet breaks of serve were a regular occurrence. Djokovic broke the Murray serve twice in the opening set which he served for at 5-3 however he couldn’t close it out and required a tie break to finally move ahead.

That could easily have been different; Murray led 4-2 in the breaker and missed a makeable volley at 5-5 but let Djokovic off the hook. First blood to the Serb.  

The second set began in better fashion for the British number one as he capitalised on an early opportunity to take a 2-0 lead. That was quickly taken away from him. In another turn of events Djokovic broke twice to lead 4-2, yet still there was time for the plot to thicken as back came Murray to level the match at a set apiece.

However, in two and a half hours the points had been physical, brutal, draining even for the spectators and Murray’s body repelled first.

The Brit made an early move to take a 2-0 lead in the third but from there it was one way traffic, with Djokovic winning 12 of the last 13 games to take the title in something of an anti-climax.

Over the majority of this fortnight Murray has been the predator in his route to the final, however when it came down to the final two the predator quickly became the prey. In survival of the fittest Djokovic is as fit as they come.   

Murray Back In Major Final

You don’t become a Grand Slam Champion unless you’re made of stern stuff and at the moment there aren’t many tougher than Andy Murray.

Is he back to the man who made history by becoming the first British male to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936? Quite possibly. Is he a different proposition from the player who was humiliated by Roger Federer at the ATP world tour finals back in November? Most definitely.

Murray reaches his first major final since Wimbledon in 2013

Murray has never won the Australian Open but his victory over Tomas Berdych in Thursday’s first semi-final has given the Brit a real chance of adding a third major title to his growing list of honours.

He looks fitter, quicker, even tougher than he did when he claimed his maiden Grand Slam at the US Open back in 2012, and after a fair share of criticism there are signs that his game is finally starting to blossom working with coach Amélie Mauresmo.

Victory over Berdych wasn’t easy and it took a gruelling 3 hours 26 minutes for Murray to chop down the giant Czech, winning 6-7(6) 6-0 6-3 7-5 to reach Sunday’s final where he will meet either Novak Djokovic or Stanislas Wawrinka.

In many ways this is the ideal scenario for Murray, who will compete in his first major final with Mauresmo at the helm. He hasn’t been pushed to the limit over five sets; however he has been tested by the likes of Berdych and Grigor Dimitrov who have forced the Brit to be on top of his game.

Before this semi-final match up a lot was made about Berdych’s coach Dani Vallverdu who was working with Murray until November last year.

Early on it was the Czech who dominated. From the very first game he pursued the Murray serve with his sledgehammer forehand and aggressive approach, while he held his own serve with relative ease.

But Murray is a fighter, and firmly dug in his heels to cope with the Berdych bombardment. In the eighth game the Czech finally broke to lead 5-3; however when serving for the set Murray pounded back with vengeance to force a breaker.

That may have gone Berdych’s way but Murray’s response was immaculate. In the second set he surged on the attack taking it without dropping a game, as Berdych had no answer to Murray’s dainty slice or fierce forehand from the back of the court.

This was Murray at his aggressive best and there was no let-up in sets three and four. Berdych’s serve was less dominant as the match went on and he appeared to have fewer and fewer weapons compared to the variety in Murray’s armoury.

The Brit broke Berdych in the sixth game of the third to lead 4-2 before taking a 2 sets to 1 lead. He then landed the knockout blow at 5-5 in the fourth and with the final in sights he finished with an ace. He is a Grand Slam champion and once again he is showing us why.

 

 

Djokovic Remains The Man To Beat In Melbourne

Novak Djokovic is through to his fifth Australian Open Semi-final. Surprised? Not really, this is the man who has been on the cusp of domination in men’s tennis over the last few years.



At 27 Djokovic is just one Grand Slam away from joining the likes of Andre Agassi, Ivan Lendl and Jimmy Connors on eight majors. At this stage of the tournament the stats certainly make good reading for the Serb, every time Djokovic has reached the last four in Melbourne he has gone on to win the tournament.

Djokovic is still yet to drop a set in this year's competition



Of course it’s no guarantee, and if Djokovic is to win his eighth major title in the next few days he will have to overcome last year’s champion Stanislas Wawrinka, the man who stopped him last year, before a potential final with either Andy Murray or Tomas Berdych. Nevertheless it would take a brave soul to bet against sensational Serb.

For the opening set his quarter-final victory over giant Canadian Milos Raonic was far from vintage Djokovic, however once a first set tie break was in the bag he quickly raced to a 7-6(5) 6-4 6-2 victory in just 2 hours

At 24 Raonic is regarded as one of the game’s big prospects. At 6ft 6 that’s in more ways than one, however against Djokovic the Canadian appeared a little one dimensional and after dropping the first set his chances were significantly reduced.

For the first hour or so Djokovic was not at his best, his timing was off and there were traces of anxiety as Raonic’s serve prevented the world number one from building up any sort of rhythm from the back of the court.

Djokovic, regarded as the best returner in the game, knew only too well about this, a few weeks ago he had lost to another giant sever Ivo Karlovic at a tournament in Doha, this was different though and after taking the first set on a tie break he set about unpicking the Raonic serve.

Just like flicking on a light switch Djokovic was suddenly at his ruthless best, breaking Raonic in the first game of the second set to put the outcome in little doubt. The fact that Raonic didn’t even reach break point over the course of the match spoke volumes about how professional Djokovic was on his own serve, while in the baseline exchanges the Canadian’s game never looked like matching up to that of the Serb.

The single break was all that was required for Djokovic to convincingly take the second set, Raonic had never come back from two sets down in his career and that never looked like happening here as he was broke twice in the third to concede the match.

Djokovic will next be in action on Friday where he will face Wawrinka in a repeat of last year’s epic quarter final, which the Swiss won. Tomorrow its Murray verses Berdych in the first semi-final as the first slam of the year reaches its climax.  

Murray Tames Kyrgios To Reach Last Four

Andy Murray is still without doubt one of the favourites when it comes to winning Grand Slams in men’s tennis and in the last few days the Brit has successfully swatted away the exuberance and energy of the games next generation.

Murray prepares for his fifth semi-final in Australia 

Murray’s victories over fast rising stars, Grigor Dimitrov and Nick Kyrgios, not only earned the British number one a place in his fifth Australian Open semi-final, it also proved that he remains ahead of the up and coming talent who are attempting to overthrow those at the top.

Not that Murray is looking over his shoulder, far from it, and at 27 his best years may still be to come. There’s no doubt he suffered, by his standards, a miniature lull after winning the Wimbledon title at the peak of his power in 2013, but that’s more than understandable after having back surgery straight after. He seems to be over that now and a rejuvenated Murray appears back on course.

His straight sets quarter final victory over home favourite Kyrgios was impressive, not least because he gave the vibrant Australian crowd little to get their teeth into, prevailing  6-3 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 in 2 hours 5 minutes.

Kyrgios was dangerous, vigorous, a 6ft 4 toreador, who at just 19 years of age was the first Australian to reach a quarter final in Melbourne since LLeyton Hewitt in 2005. He stunned Rafeal Nadal at Wimbledon last year and came back to beat Andres Seppi from two sets down in the previous round, Murray knew he wasn’t in for an easy ride.

Nevertheless Murray was on it from the off and after Kyrgios won the first two points of the match, on Murray’s serve, it then took until the middle of the third set for the Aussie to finally reach break point.

Murray made his move in the sixth game, his effective chip returns helped neutralise and break the monstrous Kyrgios serve, then Murray had the answers from the back of the court.   

But Kyrgios is naturally very quick between points and can easily build up a flowing rhythm. Murray was wise to that. His crafty slices and measured attacks not only helped slow Kyrgios down but at times even had the Australian running around like a puppet on a string.

However, as demonstrated in the last round Kyrgios is not the sort of character to lie down easily. In the second set he regrouped, approached the net more and forced a pivotal tie break.

Murray’s serve had remained untouchable, but if Kyrgios levelled at one set all the crowd would have roared behind him. Murray didn’t let them.

He won a decisive breaker by seven points to five and despite losing serve for the first time in the third set he recovered to reach Thursday’s semi-final, where he will meet seventh seed Tomas Berdych who beat Nadal in 6-2 6-0 7-6(5).

In the first Women’s semi Maria Sharapova will face Ekaterina Makarova after both won in straight sets.

A Fresh Start For Murray

If the likes of Manchester United and Louis Van Gaal are allowed to have a season of “transition” then surely it’s only fair that the face of British tennis, Andy Murray, is entitled to a similar allowance.

A straight sets win for Andy Murray in round one

By the high standards of the British number one 2014 was a difficult year, that’s if you can call reaching the quarter final stage of all four Grand Slams and qualifying for the season ending Championships in London a difficult year.

If nothing else it was twelve months of change for Murray who parted company with coach Ivan Lendel in March before going separate ways from fitness trainer Jezz Green and hitting partner Daniel Vallverdu later in the year.

Nevertheless Murray arrives in Melbourne for the first Grand Slam of 2015 in great shape and since his crushing 6-0 6-1 defeat at the hands of Roger Federer in November, Murray has recorded an equally emphatic 6-2 6-0 victory over Rafael Nadal in an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi before winning all three of his singles matches at this year’s Hopman Cup.

His regular stop at his winter training camp in Miami has allowed Murray to regroup and reassess  his goals with current coach Amélie Mauresmo as the Brit looks to rediscover the sort of form which earned him two Grand Slam titles and an Olympic gold medal.

However if Murray is to add a first Australian Open title to his growing list of titles, the Brit will have to be on the  top of his game over the next fortnight. In the fourth round Murray could come up against the fast rising star Grigor Dimitrov who beat him at Wimbledon last year,  that could be followed by a rematch with Federer in the quarter finals.     

For now they will be at the back of Murray’s mind and he will be fully focused on his second round opponent Marinko Matosevic after beating Indian qualifier Yuki Bhambri 6-3 6-4 7-6(3) in his  opening match on Monday.

Murray may have been the clear favourite against Bhambri, a man who had to win three matches just to reach the first round and was the lowest ranked player in the men’s draw. Nevertheless the world 317 managed to muster up an intriguing match.

A graduate from Nick Bollettieri’s academy Bhambri wasn’t afraid to strike the ball early from the back of the court or approach the net on numerous occasions where he showed some creative touch.

After losing the first two sets by a single break the Indian lead 4-1 in the third, however his lead was short lived as Murray’s more consistent game allowed him back into the match, which he closed out in 2 hours 12 minutes after a third set breaker.

Elsewhere in the men’s draw there were straight set victories for Federer, Dimitrov and Nadal.  On the Women’s side there were first round victories for Maria Sharapova and Simona Halep, however fifth seed Anna Ivanovic and ninth seed Angelique Kerber crashed out.

Stan's The Man In Australia

Tennis has a new Grand Slam Champion, the first man to beat Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in the same major, his name Stanislas Wawrinka.

Many will question the manor of his 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-3 final victory over a depleted Nadal, who sustained a back injury half way through the second set. However take nothing away from Wawrinka who played some stimulating tennis and controlled his emotions to claim his first Slam.

Wawrinka celebrates his first Grand Slam

Wawrinka, who earned his place in the final with victories over Djokovic and Tomas Berdych, outplayed the World number one and heavy favourite Nadal for a set and half firing winners from the back of the court.

It had the makings of a classic match and surely would have been if Nadal’s body didn’t give up on him, the Spaniard was nearly reduced to tears after a medical time out, as the thrilling contest that had been created slowly faded away.

Sheer adrenaline kept Nadal going as Wawrinka’s understandable nerves in his first Slam final presented Nadal the third set, and despite the Spaniard’s improving condition and tenacious fight back Wawrinka was able to close out by far the biggest moment of his career.

After living in the shadows of Swiss compatriot Roger Federer for most of his career, Wawrinka will now move up to Swiss number one for the first time, furthermore he will reach his highest ever ranking of number three in the world, a remarkable achievement in this golden era.

In twelve previous meetings Wawrinka had never beaten Nadal; he had never even taken a set off him. Many expected this to be the match where Nadal made history by equalling Pete Sampras on fourteen Slams and moving ever closer to Federer’s record seventeen.

However Wawrinka had other ideas. Not only did he settle in his first final at this level he dominated ripping winners from inside the baseline with nothing to lose.

The break came in the fourth game and was consolidated by Wawrinka’s immaculate serving to give him a 4-1 lead. He wasn’t afraid to come to the net, and despite going 0-40 when serving for the set he resisted the Nadal pressure saving the break points before finishing the set with an ace.

Anything left short by Nadal, Wawrinka was pouncing on it. The Swiss earned another break in the first game of the second set with some more sublime tennis as it was turning into an intriguing match.

But then came the moment that no one wanted to see, a Nadal grimace followed by a clutch at his back wasn’t a good sign. At the next changeover he called for a 3 minute medical time out which enabled him to leave the court, to the clear frustration of Wawrinka.

When the Spaniard returned it was clear something was wrong, his serve wasn’t even half its normal pace while his movement had also deserted him. Wawrinka broke again to lead 4-1 before Nadal received more treatment on his back in obvious pain.

Wawrinka closed out the set and at that point could have been forgiven in thinking the match was over as Nadal looked ready to throw in the towel. However the Spaniard kept on going and amazingly broke at the start of the third in staggering circumstances.

Spare a thought for Wawrinka who had gone from being on the brink of winning his first Slam to being hunted down by arguably the greatest player the game has ever seen.

Nadal’s situation had evidently improved, however Wawrinka had lost his rhythm in the dilemma of playing an injured opponent. The Swiss became too passive allowing Nadal to dictate the rallies and somehow claim the third set.

It was a time for Wawrinka to re-group and clear his head. Nadal was hanging on saving two break points in the fourth game before recovering from 4-2 down; however Wawrinka wouldn’t let his opportunity pass as he broke to lead 5-3 before serving for the title.  

He makes history by becoming the first man to beat the number one and two seeds in a major since Sergi Bruguera at the French Open in 1993. His breakthrough could be a sign of even greater things to come as the depth at the top of the men’s game appears stronger than ever.  

Vintage Federer Ends Murray Hopes

To See Roger Federer back at his vintage best can only be a good thing for men’s tennis, even if it does prevent Andy Murray from making his fifth successive Australian Open semi final.

Just to watch the 16 time Grand Slam champion should be a privilege in itself, but at the age of 32, to see him playing this well again is something simply to behold and appreciate while we still can.

Federer was back to his very best to conquer Murray

Murray didn’t play badly, far from it as he battled tirelessly in his first big match since his back operation last September; however a rejuvenated Federer, now coached by childhood hero and former world number one Stefan Edberg, was at times simply unplayable.

By the end Murray’s lack of match practise evidently took its toll, as Federer gradually ground him down to claim a 6-3 6-4 6-7(6) 6-3 victory in 3 hours 20 minutes.   

The Swiss certainly showed the Edberg side to his game; his tactics of coming to the net on every opportunity was a breath of fresh air and could be a sign of even greater things to come.

He ran away with the first two sets and could have done the same in the third if it wasn’t for Murray’s gutsy effort, which left him exhausted by the end.  

“Andy played well and put pressure on me so I’m happy to win” said the Swiss after the match.  “I probably miss more break points than other guys but I kept my composure and kept the poker face and tonight it worked."

Federer will now re-ignite his historic rivalry with Rafael Nadal in Friday’s semi final, after the Spaniard earlier defeated Grigor Dimitrov in four sets.

As for Murray he later admitted he “wasn’t expecting to win the event” so soon after his back operation “I was proud of the way I fought, it’s tough because I haven’t played at this level and Roger played at a very high level, my body held up fairly well, I didn’t expect to feel perfect”

After last year’s disappointment, where Federer failed to make the final of a major for the first time since 2002 many wondered if he could challenge for an unprecedented 17^th Grand Slam; the first two sets of this match suggested otherwise and were nothing short of a Federer master class.

The Swiss only missed two first serves in three service games while Murray struggled to form any sort of rhythm. Federer was willing to be the aggressive player from the start and took his only break point of the set in the fourth game to lead 3-1.

Murray did well to hang on however Federer showed no signs of loosening his grip. Even his, at times, unpredictable backhand was inflicting all sorts of damage as the Swiss began to run Murray ragged by approaching the net on nearly every point.

The Brit never really had the chance to break back, as Federer kept him guessing on serve and rounded off an almost perfect set by holding to love, taking it in just 32 minutes.

There was little option for Murray other than he had to try and play more aggressive himself. The Brit forced his first chance to break in game four at 15-30 however Federer calmly stubbed it out.

In the following game the Swiss pounced, he continued to take the ball early and move forward which piled the pressure on Murray, who made two loose forehands to surrender the break.

Murray had opportunities to strike back as Federer’s first serve began to drop, however the Swiss still didn’t hand him a break point and when he claimed a two set lead it was always going to be a huge task for Murray to come back.

The match came close to spiralling away from Murray completely, as he was forced to save three break points at the start of the third.

Federer on the other hand was still holding serve with ease, every time Murray came through a tough service game the Swiss would quick hold to re-apply the pressure. At 4-4 that pressure finally told as a mix of Federer’s brilliance and two errors from Murray meant the Swiss would serve for the match.

However on the home straight Federer blinked, having not faced a break point all match the Swiss suddenly found himself 15-40 down as Murray found a timely response. For the first time Federer looked valuable and despite saving the first break point he couldn’t prevent the second going Murray’s way as an uncharacteristic error threw the Brit a lifeline.

For the entertainment factor a tiebreak was the best outcome, out of their eight previous breakers Federer had won seven of them. He looked set to improve that record as claimed an early mini-break to set up a 6-4 lead and double match point.

But Murray just would not lie down, swinging freely the Brit saved them both the first on his own serve the second on Federer’s, then with the momentum in his corner he seized his opportunity to take the set which was ended by another forehand error from Federer.

The question then was how much did Murray have left? In the first game of the forth he had a chance at 15-30 on the Federer serve but dragged a forehand passing shot agonisingly wide.

From then on Federer slowly but brutally increased his strangle hold, Murray fended off six break points in a marathon 20 minute just to level at 1-1, his grimacing expressions showed the pain he was now going through.

Murray continued to dig deep but eventually his resistance was broken, leading 4-3 Federer finally moved in for the kill allowing him the chance to serve for the match for the second time which he took with both hands finishing with an ace.  

If this Australian Open has taught us anything it’s that a 17^th Grand Slam for Federer isn’t out of the question, on this sort of form it’s almost within his reach. 

Murray Through To Week Two

Could it merely be a coincidence or something more that the last time Andy Murray beat Feliciano Lopez it was on the way to claiming his first Grand Slam at the US Open back in 2012.

Back then the Brit finally came through that 3^rd round encounter after four gruelling sets which included three tie breaks, thankfully for Murray today’s clash at the Australian Open was a rather more straight forward one.

Murray Once Again Reaches The Second Week In Australia

After a sluggish start Murray simply got better and better to come through his toughest test of the first week, eventually racing to a 7-6(2) 6-4 6-2 victory in 2 hours 15 minutes on the Hisense Area.

There were plenty signs that Murray is a contender ,along with  favourites Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, to claim the first major of the year a week tomorrow.

Murray was almost faultless in set’s two and three as he soundly dispatched world number 26 Lopez to set up a somewhat favourable last 16 match with Frenchman Stephane Robert, the first man ever to make the fourth round after qualifying as a “lucky loser”.

Victory in that match would set up the potential prospect of having to beat Federer, Nadal then Djokovic back to back to claim the title down under, however Murray more than most will know there’s still more than a long way to go.

I’ve made a good start, today was beautiful conditions to play in and we get to play in front of a full crowd when it’s like this” said Murray after the match “ever since I was 18 I’ve had a lot of support here and I’ll need it if I want to go further”    

The Brit’s victory over Lopez means he is now on a 13 match winning streak against left-handed players, a statistic he gives great credit to his brother Jamie for.

“I grew up playing with my brother who is a lefty so I had a lot of practise returning lefty serves when I was younger which helps”

A cagey start saw the first two games go against serve, as Murray recovered from an early break against him to level the match at 1-1.

Both players struggled to find their first serve, with the match there for taking. There were a few worrying signs as Murray didn’t look comfortable and began to reach for his back as if there was a problem, however Lopez couldn’t take advantage.

 At 3-2 Murray sensed an opportunity but was helpless as four break points passed him by, each time the Spaniard came up with the goods on serve to bail himself out of trouble.

Both then held with relative ease before Murray again upped the ante at 6-5 forcing Lopez to fend set point on two separate occasions; however in the unpredictability of the tie break Murray showed no signs of a easing off playing his best tennis of the match to take it 7-2.

With momentum on his side Murray carried it into the second set where claimed a decisive break in the opening game. In some ways Lopez was his own worst enemy going abruptly off the boil as his game began to leak errors.

From that point on the Spaniard did his best to hang in but Murray was dominant, finding a perfect rhythm on serve. As Murray came to serve for the set at 5-4 Lopez had a sniff of breaking back at 15 -30 however the Brit quickly slammed the door to double his set advantage.     

The third set followed a similar pattern as Murray broke once again in the first game, with Lopez quickly running out of ideas. There was no let up from Murray who won 92% of points behind his first serve in the final set, giving Lopez little chance to break back.

In the fifth game Murray landed the killer blow, breaking the Lopez serve to love which he was now reading with little difficulty. Three aces in the following game from Murray made it 5-1 before Lopez made him serve out the match, where the Brit booked his place in the second week.  

So is it a coincidence that pair met when Murray won his first Slam? Yes it probably is. However if the Brit is triumphant in the upcoming week, he won’t mind seeing Lopez again in other majors to come.    

Murray Off The Mark Down-Under

It can’t be easy making the transition from Wimbledon champion to having a back surgery which keeps you out of the sport for over three months.

It seems unfair to expect the same sort of performances from Andy Murray that he produced so immaculately at The All England Club last year, however after today’s superior showing those expectations may have just gone back up a notch.

Murray made light work of Soeda in round one

Even Murray himself admitted he didn’t know how his back would react coming into this year’s Australian Open, especially after the Brit had looked a little rusty in his comeback tournament at the Qatar Open two weeks ago where he was beaten by German Florian Mayer.

However that performance was a mere shadow of the one in Melbourne today, Murray was ruthless in sweeping aside Japan’s Go Soeda 6-1 6-1 6-3 in what was a strong contender for performance of the first round on the Hisence Arena lasting just 87 minutes.

Murray looked sharp in all aspects of his game; he was rock solid from the base line and produced a dominant serving display landing 12 aces and a 69% first serve percentage.

The Brit also made light work of the sweltering heat in Melbourne which exceeded 40c. Many players were troubled and complained that the extreme temperatures “were unsafe”, Caroline Wozniacki’s water bottle melted, Jelena Jankovic burnt her backside on an uncovered seat and Frank Dancevic required medical attention after fainting, however Murray suffered no such drama.

After the match the British number one added “the conditions were very, very tough” however he, more than most, appears better equipped than anyone, he’s prepared the same way for this tournament that he does every year at his training camp in the heat of Miami and it could become a defining factor over the next fortnight.

He can now take advantage of what looks a favourable early draw and will face French qualifier Vincent Millot in round two.  After John Isner’s retirement against Slovak Martin Kilzan, Murray is guaranteed not to meet a fellow top 20 player until at least the quarter final.

 “I was taking nothing for granted when you haven’t played for a while you’re pretty stressed out and nervous to see how your back going to respond” said Murray.“I’ve played a lot of great matches and played some of my best tennis here so hopefully it’s good enough  this year”  

Before his surgery Murray revealed he had played in pain for over a year and was looking forward to playing “pain free”. His lack of match practise may have been a concern to some however any doubts about his ability were quickly put to rest.

Soeda, ranked 112 in the world, made a solid hold in his opening service game but unfortunately it didn’t get any better for him from that point on.

 Murray was merciless in reeling off a run of six games in a row as he commanded the baseline rallies, he was moving freely and striking winners like it was a practise session while breaking Soeda three times as he secured the first set in only 23 minutes.

The second set was equally as convincing, Murray held serve in the opening game and before long had increased his six game streak to nine as another break took him to a 3-0 lead.  

At that point the Murray of a few years ago may have took his foot off the gas and been vulnerable to a comeback. However those old habits are long in the past, and the Brit showed no signs of a let up barely giving Soeda a sniff to break back.

Soeda dug in and did well to make the third set a little more competitive, though Murray was never really in trouble. It was clear the final set didn’t quite have the same intensity as the first two however Murray was on hand to make the decisive break at 3-3 before charging to victory.

Murray will now have a day’s rest before taking on Millot on Thursday, and after today’s routine victory many will now see him as a contender for the title, considering the circumstances that would be something special.    

Djokovic Denies Murray Down-under

We’ve seen it all before the familiar late night drama and pulsating celebrations of Novak Djokovic who again prevailed to claim yet another Australian Open title under the lights of the Rod Laver Area. 

Like many before him the resilient Djokovic proved a step too far for even the fight and determination of Andy Murray. The pair appear to be the new rivalry at the top of the game, but after Murray took his maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open last year, it was the Serb’s turn to reinstate his world number one ranking defending his title in Melbourne with a 6-7 (2-7) 7-6 ( 7-3) 6-3 6-2 victory.

The new rivalry at the top of men's tennis

Both Djokovic and Murray entered the match attempting unprecedented history, Djokovic aiming for his third successive Australian Open while a new-look Murray was bidding to be the first man to win his first Grand Slam titles back to back.

Good friends off the court there was little to hide between two current giants of the game. Mentally it was Djokovic who looked the more irritated early on in the match seemingly feeling the weight of the number one ranking.      

Murray’s triumph over Djokovic at last year’s US Open broke an unwanted duck following four defeats in his previous Slam finals. Reminiscent of their meeting in New York the pair were locked into a first set tie break where it was Murray who held his nerve to claim an advantage.

The second set was equally as tight, and was ultimately the key in the match. Murray was suddenly on top but squandered numerous chances to break, as three break points went begging on the Serb’s opening service game of the set.

Djokovic fought hard to emerge from what could have been a fatal storm, as the second set remained in the balance. Just like his semi-final victory over Rodger Federer, Murray was firing on serve, but couldn’t find a way to break as the set unravelled into another breaker.

Then came the turning point, at 2-2 with the Brit serving a feather blew on to the court disrupting play between Murray’s first and second serve. A double fault followed as Djokovic raced through the remainder of the tie break and suddenly the title looked a long way off for Murray.

The match wasn’t the same after that point, as Murray received a medical time out for a nasty looking blister on his foot. After a short lull in the match at the start of the third the world number one found another gear, increasing the intensity from the back of the court.

  

Murray gave it everything to try and fend off the barrage of pressure being forced upon him but in this form on this court the resistant Serb is near unbeatable. The first break of serve in the match proved another decisive incident in game eight, as Djokovic broke to lead 5-3 before serving to take a 2-1 lead and full authority of the match.

It was clear now that Murray’s body was feeling the strain constant clutches at his hamstring suggested the five set thriller with Federer was starting to take its toll.

But Djokovic was in full flow, overall the more aggressive player throughout the match however now it was paying off as the Murray defence slowly weakened.

After a gruelling 3 hours 40 minutes the title was finally sealed concluding a deserved victory for the current world number one, and despite the occasional struggle at times today and in the fourth round against Stanislas Wawrinka no one could disagree that Djokovic deserves his title and remains the one to beat in the future Slams.   

Djokovic Lays Down The Gauntlet

Andy Murray and Rodger Federer take note, because if you want to win this Australian Open title there is an ominous world number one standing firm in your way.

The power and determination of Novak Djokovic have been more than stretched in this competition, but after his 4^th round thriller with Stanislas Wawrinka where he clutched victory from the jaws of defeat, the Serb’s limits have had no visible bounds.

Djokovic hunting for his 3rd successive Australian Open 

Tomas Berdych and David Ferrer were both sent packing, helpless to Djokovic’s brutality. Ferrer, well respected for his heart and fighting spirit, managed only five games as he was soundly despatched 6-2 6-2 6-1 in a one sided semi-final.

Regularly on the offense Djokovic’s tremendous groundstrokes and sheer ruthlessness didn’t allow Ferrer any sort of foot hold in the match, reminding us of the gap between the so called top four and the chasing pack.

The world number one took seven out of as many break points dropping just seven points on serve "I played incredible tennis, I felt very confident and comfortable from the start” said Djokovic following truly remarkable performance.

His motivation is the chance to become the first man in the open era to win three consecutive titles down under, something not even his great rivals Federer and Rafael Nadal have managed.

His never say die attitude has made him even more daunting for opponents; the 10-8 final set victory over Wawrinka earlier in the tournament has been one of many in recent majors.

Djokovic now has a two day rest before the facing the winner of Murray and Federer in what promises to be a thrilling encounter in tomorrow’s second semi-final.

Murray is aiming to be the first man to back up his maiden Grand Slam victory with a consecutive major  title, while Federer hopes to add a staggering 18^th Slam title to his already outstanding record of achievements .

But as Djokovic leads the way in this incredible tennis era, the message is clear that someone is going to have to produce something special to knock the Serb off his commanding perch.  

Murray Battles Past Berankis

When Andy Murray appointed Ivan Lendl as his new coach a year ago it seemed like a partnership going one of two ways. An instant backlash leaving both parties none the wiser or an extraordinary success story of Murray’s long-awaited maiden Grand Slam.   

There’s no question that after Murray’s triumph at Olympics and US Open that Lendl has been the missing piece in a complex jigsaw. Even away from the court the British number one seems a more upbeat likable character expressing his humour which previously seemed hidden.

Murray comfortably through to the second week 

It remains to be seen if the Scot’s breakthrough year will result in even better things to come but it appears that the calm Czech has unlocked the real Andy Murray and it’s clear to see his achievements have gained him a lot of fans over the last 12 months.

Now we are back at the first slam of the year, the Australian Open, where the Murray Lendl relationship began. The passage through to the first week has been rather straight forward; Robin Haase and Joao Sousa were both dispatched with ease in the opening rounds.

Today came a sterner test, as Murray faced Lithuanian Ricardas Berankis a former US open junior champion. Don’t been fooled by the low ranking of Berankis which has been largely down to injury, for the first time in the in the tournament Murray had a battle on his hands. But even short of his best the Brit produced his best tennis at the key moments securing a place in the last 16 with a 6-3 6-4 7-5 victory.

At the start of the match it was one way traffic, as Murray broke in the second game without really having to force the play. Murray’s ability to pull away from opponents, even when not on top of his game saw him race into a 5-1 lead, as errors flew off Berankis’s racket.

However the Lithuanian showed glimpses of talent and variety of shots to steal a break back but it came too late to rescue the set. Murray still had gears to go through, his serve not as dominant as in the previous rounds nevertheless the set was sealed in 39 minutes.

A much improved Berankis started the second set, his flat hitting troubling Murray who wasn’t dictating as he would have liked. Now it was only the Brit’s serve preventing Berankis from breaking but eventfully the pressure paid-off in the sixth game, when Berankis clinched the break gaining momentum to take a 4-2 lead.

That triggered a reaction from Murray who immediately applied some pressure of his own, taking no time in retrieving the break. Now with a good rhythm on serve Murray levelled the set at 4-4 before taking a second successive break, controlling more of the points and looking more engaged in the match.

After serving out the set Murray landed another blow on Berankis in the third game of set three. Murray was given increasing chances at his opponent’s second serve allowing the Brit to get on top of the rallies and break seizing full authority.

Berankis could have fell away at that point, but the Lithuanian clearly thriving on the occasion dug deep to remain in touching distance. The best tennis of the match followed, as both players serving well, stepped up the court producing an entertaining offensive game.

The gap remained a single break until Murray was forced to serve out the match at 5-4 when a combination of the Brit’s errors and inspired play from Berankis levelled the score causing a possibility of an unpredictable tiebreak.

But Murray again responded defending well wearing down Berankis, snatching back his break advantage. On his second attempt Murray wrapped up the match in a total of 2hours 12 minutes.

Murray later said, “we know each other quite well we practise a lot together he hits the ball very flat which was pretty quick in these conditions.”  Murray will now face either Gilles Simon or Gael Monfils in the last 16.

In the Women’s draw the other British interest Laura Robson wasn’t able to back up her brilliant victory over Petra Kvitova going out to American Sloane Stephens 7-5 6-3.  

Murray v Djokovic Semi-Final

Novak Djokovic crushed Andy Murrays Australian open dreams for the second year running, after the Brit battled to a heart-breaking defeat in a thrilling contest lasting 4 hours 50 minutes. Murray had fought back from 5-2 down in the deciding set, as he couldn’t convert break points at 5-5 to serve for the match. And world number one Djokovic showed just why he’s top of the men’s game with a super human performance  finally prevailing  in the match of the tournament with a score of 6-3 3-6 6-7(4)6-1 7-5.

The first set started with both players being aggressive, as they traded serve trying to control the play. But it was Djokovic who landed the first blow, as a careless game from Murray gave him little time to recover before conceding the first set in 47 minutes.

Djokovic looked to have the match in control, as a Murray hangover from the first set gifted the Serb an early break. However Murray stuck to the game plan and continued to be aggressive limiting his opponent’s options before turning the set around to lead 4-2. Breaks of serve were again exchanged but it was Murray who found his best tennis at the right moment to level the match.

 Murrays triumph had his opponent on the ropes in set three, as the defending champion appeared short of fatigue. Nevertheless Djokovic dug deep squandering three set points of his own ultimately leading to a tie break. Then it was Murray, who found a new level, as Djokovic crumbled leaving him with a 2-1 deficit.

But in the blink of an eye it was level again when Murray was unable to capitalise on his advantage, as errors crept into his game dropping three service games without reply. But crucially he didn’t make Djokovic serve it out allowing the Serb to serve first in the vital fifth set.

 In the decider it was Murray who seemed to be tiring hanging on in exhausting conditions. Then the world number one made has move finding the shots to take a 5-2 lead. However a determined Murray would not back down making the defeat even harder to take, after levelling at 5-5 he couldn’t put away two break points when a gutsy Djokovic found the line. The world number one then took his chance to book his place in his second successive Australian open final where he will meet Rafael Nadal. For Murray he needs to take a lot of pride from this match, after going toe to toe with the world’s best in a match that could easily gone the other way.             

Murray v Nishikori Match Report

Andy Murray reached his fifth consecutive grand slam semi-final to set up a meeting with world number 1 Novak Djokovic, after a straight sets win over Japan’s Kei Nishikori. It was a solid performance from the British number 1, as he saw out the match against a resolute opponent in 2 hours 12 minutes with a score of 6-3 6-3 6-1.

Murray started the quickest after a comfortable hold put immediate pressure on his opponents serve, as he was rewarded with an early break. However Nishikori in a first-time slam quarter-final dug deep not allowing Murray the double break to take control of the match.But the Japanese player couldn’t take advantage of Murrays missed first serves,And the world number 4 had enough to seal the opening set in 55 minutes.

More inconsistent serving allowed both players to exchange breaks at the start of the second set. But a positive response from Murray provided another break of serve to regain control of the match. Murray finished the match with 44% of first serves but Nishikori couldn’t exploit this only converting 2 in 10 break points. Murray then wrapped up the second set was with an identical score line, as it was obvious Nishikori was beginning to tire.

In the final set Murray increased the level with aggressive play and blameless returning, as Nishikori looked out of ideas. The 3^rd set took no longer than 29 minutes, as Murray secured the match with a respectable performance. Murray later said “I didn't serve well but the returning was good" and he knows he will have to improve when he plays the defending champion Djokovic. 

Tomorrow two of the biggest names in tennis in Rodger Federer and Rafael Nadal go head to head in the first of the men’s semi-finals while in the women’s draw defending champion Kim Clijsters takes on 3^rd seed Victoria Azarenka.

Murray v Kukushkin Match Report

Andy Murrays place in the quarter final of the Australian open was easier than expected, when his opponent Mikhail Kukushkin threw in the towel after a very one sided affair. Murray was off court in under an hour, racing through the first two sets with Kukushkin trailing 6-1 6-1 1-0 when he decided to retire.

It was clear Kukushkin was low on fatigue off the back of two five set matches and that showed when four errors gave Murray an early break. The Kazakhstani was in unprecedented territory of the fourth round and couldn’t hold serve in the whole match, as Murrays aggressive returning punished his wounded opponent. Kukushkins only game in the first set came from a lapse in concentration from Murray but this did not stop him prevailing to a 22 minutes opening set.

This was only the second meeting between these two players the other came in this year’s opening match in Brisbane where made Murray was made to work for the 3 set win. However this one was no contest, as the second set followed the first with Murray in control. Another careless service game from Murray got Kukushkin on the board, when the Brit suffered a first serve percentage drop but Murray was awarded the match in 50 minutes and is safely through to the last eight. There he will play Kei Nishikori of Japan after he upset 6th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in five sets.

Meanwhile defending champion Novak Djokovic dropped his first set of the tournament when he finally put out the last Aussie in the draw ending Lleyton Hewitt’s run in four sets. Djokovic will now play David Ferrer in the quarter final, the Spaniard a comfortable winner over Richard Gasquet. In the women’s draw Serena Williams crashed out in straight sets to Ekaterina Makarova of Russia missing out on a quarter final with Maria Sharapova.   

Australian Open First Week Round Up

As the opening week of the Australian open comes to a close the first grand slam of the year is perfectly poised for some more action packed tennis at the business end of the tournament. So far the competition has seen 5 set marathons, match deciding controversy and supreme performances.

With half of the men’s quarter finals draw complete the bottom sees two mouth-watering ties, as Rafael Nadal and Rodger Federer look to claim back the Australian crown both being overshadowed by Novak Djokovic in 2011. Nadal takes on a dangerous world number 7 in Thomas Berdych while Federer faces former US open champion Juan Martin Del Potro as the Argentine keeps improving on return from injury last year. Djokovic himself has been in dominating form with the loss of just 10 games in his route to the last 16 where he will meet the last Australian in the draw Lleyton Hewitt. Plus Andy Murray’s brilliant performance against Michel Llodra put him back in the frame; he plays unseeded Mikhail Kukushkin tomorrow with a potential quarter final with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Wednesday.

The women’s event home hopes rested on Sam Stosur but she fell at the first hurdle losing her opening match. Today was a repeat of last year’s final, as Na Li couldn’t convert any of her 4 match points falling to Kim Clijsters for the second year running. Clijsters will now face top seed Caroline Wozniacki in the last 8, the Dane seeing off a second set comeback from Jelena Jankovic. The other quarter pairs Victoria Azarenka and Agnieszka Radwanska who were both comfortable winners in round 4. The bottom half of the draw Maria Sharapova, Petra Kvitova and Serena Williams all remain to fight for their quarter final place tomorrow.

Murray v Llodra Macth Report

Andy Murray found top gear on day 6 of the Australian Open when he produced a master class performance in a breath-taking match with Frenchman Michel Llodra. Murray made big improvements to his all-round game and in the end sailed through to the second week winning 6-4 6-2 6-0 in I hour 49 minutes.

The quality of tennis from the start was hard to believe, but Murray snatched an early break with some aggressive play against the Llodra serve. However doubles specialist Llodra hasn’t won 3 Grand slam doubles titles for nothing and looked dangerous showing his talents from the net. But every time he got a look at the break back the number 4 seed would pull out some brutal serving to see out a hard fought first set.

The second set went one better, as both players played their part in some extraordinary rallies. Nevertheless it was Murray who remained winning the battles with both mind blowing passing shots and net play, leading to a double break when Llodra failed to capitalise on a drop in Murrays first serve percentage. Towards the end of the set Llodra himself made little first serves, as he began to tire falling to a 6-2 deficit.

The final set was not a contest, as an exhausted Llodra was making all the errors and failed to get on the score board. Murray later said “it was a fun tennis match which is unusual in a grand slam”. He now moves into the round 4 where he will meet Mikhail Kukushkin after he beat Gael Monfils in five sets.

Elsewhere top seed Novak Djokovic crushed Nicolas Mahut with the loss of just two games while Lleyton Hewitt gave Australia more interest in the competition after beating Milos Raonic to join fellow country man Bernard Tomic in round 4. On the woman’s there were easy wins for Petra Kvitova and Maria Sharapova, as the top five seeds all remain in the tournament.  

Murray v Rodger-Vasselin Match Report

An improved performance from Andy Murray saw a comfortable straight sets win, over Frenchman   Edouard Roger-Vasselin. On his second appearance on the Hisense Arena. Murray was rarely troubled and saw out the match in 1hour 58 minutes with a score 6-1 6-4 6-4.

It was obvious from the start that Roger-Vasselin didn’t have the weapons to hurt Murray from the baseline unlike in the Brit’s opening match against Ryan Harrison. The Frenchman was quick to surrender his opening service game, as Murray took control early with his solid ground strokes squeezing the errors from his opponent to take the set 6-1.

Murray was then quick to break early in the second and looked to have the match over and done with. But Rodger-Vasselin dug deep by raising his game finding success at the net to get a foot hold in the match. Murray s dominant serving saw him drop just three points on serve in the second set, but had to settle for the single break needing to be more ruthless only converting 1 in 8 break points when a couple of errors crept into his game.   

The third set was similar to the second, as a patient Murray got his reward by not dropping serve throughout an ideal match. Murray later said “I served well and didn’t give to many opportunities”. Next for Murray lies another Frenchman in Michal Llodra who put out Alex Bogomolov Jr in a  five sets.

Tomorrow on the Rod laver Area Rafael Nadal takes on Slovakian qualifier Lukas Lacko followed by Rodger  Federer against six foot ten Ivo Karlovic while on the woman’s side Caroline Wozniacki, Victoria Azarenka and defending champion Kim  Clijsters are all in action.                  

Murray v Harrison Match Report

Andy Murray got his Australian open campaign off to a shaky start eventually overcoming American teenager Ryan Harrison on the Hisense Arena. Watched by new coach Ivan Lendl, Murray never really hit top form, as he battled to record a 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-2 victory in a gruelling 3 hours 12 minutes.

World number 72 Harrison was quickest out of the blocks, as Murray looked vulnerable giving his opponent too many looks at a weak second serve. Harrison showed his talents of big baseline hitting and safe hands at the net helping him secure a double break before wrapping up the first set in 51 minutes.

Murray was quick to break in the second finally converting one of the longest games of the match. The Brit then took control, as errors crept into Harrison’s game allowing the match to be levelled at a set a piece. A tricky third saw the single break enough as a gutsy Harrison kept fighting but Murray was comfortable in seeing out the match. He later said “I had a few nerves early on but I started to play better towards the end." He will hope to improve for a second round tie with Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin.

Tuesday also saw a dominant performance from defending champion Novak Djokovic with the loss of just 2 games against Paolo Lorenzi of Italy. Jo Wilfred Tsonga and David Ferrer are also safely though while home favourite Lleyton Hewitt set up a tie with big serving American Andy Roddick.