Re: US Open 2012
: 10 wrz 2012, 17:46
No Andy, pora odczarować Szlemy 
.
.
If Murray mimics his coach Ivan Lendl’s career path, he will win his first major at the 2012 US Open. Lendl needed five attempts to raise a big trophy and did so when he came back from two sets down to defeat John McEnroe in the 1984 Roland Garros final, which Johnny Mac still calls the most devastating defeat of his career.
This is Murray’s fifth appearance in a Grand Slam final, too, and it wasn’t until early July at Wimbledon that he actually managed to win a set in one of them, which was the first one in his four-set defeat to Roger Federer. He then went on to win the Olympic gold a month later in London, heroically hitting through Djokovic and Federer in the semis and final.
Murray says that he believes that run will give him further confidence in a Grand Slam final, as now some of the pressure is off of his shoulders to answer his critics that his level drops in big matches. But if the pressure is off, it’s only slightly. Grand Slam titles are still far more important than the Olympics in the tennis public’s eyes, so if he wants to become a real legend, he must stand up and be counted amongst the men who have their names etched into plaques inside the locker rooms of the world’s four most significant tournaments.
Murray does have enough game to pull off an upset over Djokovic, and, yes, it would be an upset considering that the strong-willed Serbian has beaten him in their only two Slam clashes, which were played at the 2011 and 2012 Australian Opens. This year, Murray came darn close to victory but was edged 7-5 in the fifth set in the Melbourne semis.
Part of that win was mental, as Djokovic had won three Grand Slams the year prior and believed he would come through in the end. For all of his fine, aggressive and accurate play, Murray wasn’t. But results are also determined be shot making, physical attributes, strategy and, most importantly, execution.
Djokovic is a slightly better all-around player on hard courts, as even though Murray has improved his forehand a ton, it does not have the weight or the depth of the Serbian's. They have equally forceful backhands (the tour's two best two-handers), but Murray has a bit more variety, as he is more comfortable slicing. Their first serves are equally as strong, but Djokovic’s second serve is less attackable. They both return brilliantly, but Djokovic tends to be more aggressive. Neither loves the net but can put away a volley, and they are both very fast. Murray has more variety overall, but Djokovic is more steady.
Really, not much separates the two, hence Djokovic’s close 8-6 head-to-head record against the Scot. The defending champion Djokovic has played consistently better at this tournament, and even though he won’t shout this out loud publicly, I have little doubt that deep inside he is upset that he was unable to win Roland Garros or Wimbledon this year and wants to bookend his season with another Slam title. He’s been the most impressive outdoor hard-court player this year, winning three of the five most important crowns (Australia, Miami and Canada), and if he performs at his best, he’ll grind Murray into the ground.
While it would be fun to see Britain finally lay to rest the ghost of Fred Perry (the last British man to win a Slam at the 1936 U.S. Championships), I don’t think that Murray will be able to “pull a Lendl.” While he will make this match close and super entertaining, I see Djokovic defending his US Open crown in four long sets.
Thanks for reading. It’s been a blast, as always.
