Murray fires himself up and into the third round
● World No 1 battles back to beat Klizan and set up clash with injury- hit Del Potro
His form coming into the French Open suggested that Andy Murray would not leave Roland Gar rosa sc ham pion; his form coupled with the draw suggested that the world No 1 would be hard pushed to make it through the first week. And yet, by hook or by crook, Murray is still in Paris with a good chance to stick around a while yet.
His second round 6-7,6-2, 6- 2, 7- 6 win over Martin Klizan yesterday was anything but easy and for those of a delicate disposition, it was anything but pleasant viewing. The first set was scratchy, the second and third sets were better but the fourth set was an uphill struggle. And throughout it all, the language was choice. But Murray won.
Klizan was always going to be a handful, particularly if he could find his range on that forehand of his. Sure enough, within a couple of games, the Slovak was cracking the forehand, sending it speeding past Murray’s flailing racket time and again. With an average speed of around 83mph, the shot should have needed a licence as a dangerous weapon.It came asno surprise, then, that Klizan took the early lead.
Yet 40 minutes into the encounter, Murray did what he failed to do in either Rome or Madrid: he fought for all he was worth to win a point that he really should have lost. He ran, he chased and he never gave up. With a little luck at the end – the ball clipped the net but still landed in the right place – he had won a small battle. Now he could make plans for war. This was progress indeed.
That conflict started with his favourite peeve, Spider cam. Midway through the first set tiebreak, Murray threatened a sit- in if the camera suspended above the court was not moved and cleared from his eye line as he went to serve .“If this keeps happening, I’ m going to sit down ,” he grump ed. “I’m not playing.” Then there was his coaching team. They, apparently, were “the flattest I’ve seen you in a long time”. He swore, he roared and he chastised himself for his poor movement. He moaned at his mediocre serving–that, admittedly, was a little erratic – and he growled at the line judges for missing clear calls. And then he swore some more.
But none of it mattered: Murray was just trying to find a way to find his focus and fire and get the job done. That he did in a little over three - anda- half hours to reach the third round where he may find himself playing a wounded, if familiar, foe.
Standing in his way tomorrow will be Juan Mar ti nd el Potro, the 2009 US Open champion, and a man whose best years have been lost to injury. Tall at 6ft 6ins and as strong as an ox ( albeit a very patient ox: Del Potro does nothing quickly and his matches are never speedy), the likeable Argentine has spent most of the last eight years struggling with a succession of wrist injuries.
Foreveron the come back trail, his ranking lurks at No 30 in the world but, on his day, he plays like the former member of the top four he was back in 2011. He was also the last man to beat Murray in 2016, surviving a five - set epic against the Scot in the Davis Cup semifinals last September.
But Del Potroi snot fit. He was hobbled by a groin injury during his match with Nicolas Alma groandw as wondering whether he would be able to finish when Almagro keeled over in floods of tears at 1- 1 in the third set. His left knee had already been taped by the trainer but now he could not run another step. He had to retire.
Del Potro, a great friend of the Spaniard, helped his pal to his feet; he comforted Almagro as he sobbed and he packed his friend’s bag, putting his arm round him and helping him away from the court. He is a decent soul is Del Potro.
Slightly buoyed by the thought that clay is not the surface of choice for either man, Del Potro will just have to see whether he is physically capable of giving Murray a run for his money. He knows that his tennis is good enough to cause the Scot problems: he pushed Murray to the very limit in the Olympic final and then got his revenge in the Davis Cup.
“We play great battles last year, one each ,” D el Potro said. “After tomorrow could be another great battle if I feel good. I need to be in good shape and physically be stronger to hold a long match if we play a long match, long rallies. I need all my body in good shape.”
Despitethe swearing and
“We play great battles last year, one each. Tomorrow could be another great battle if I feel good. I need all my body in good shape”
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO
the moaning, Murray’s mood is improving day by day and unless Del Potro’s injury problems can improve at a similar rate, the world No 1 will be the favourite to claim victory.
For all the gloom and doom before the tournament started, Murray is still very much a part of the French Open. At last, life is looking up.