Murray out after straight sets loss
ANDY MURRAY’S Wimbledon comeback ended in the third round with a straight- sets defeat by Denis Shapovalov.
By winning back-to- back matches at a grand slam for the first time since his hip problems started in 2017, the two-time Wimbledon champion had Centre Court dreaming of home glories once again.
But 10th seed Shapovalov was a step up from Nikoloz Basilashvili and Oscar Otte, and Murray was comfortably beaten 6- 4 6-2 6-2 to complete a miserable day for British players on Centre following Dan Evans’ loss to Sebastian Korda.
Murray spoke after his fiveset win over Otte on Wednesday about how slippery he had found Centre Court, and he changed his shoes after falling twice in the opening two games here.
Match
mounted comeback, ting through the ball better and putting doubt in the mind of Shapovalov, who missed one chance to serve it out and then found himself under intense pressure the second time.
Murray had three chances to get back to 5- 5 but the 22-year- old Canadian held firm each time, saving the third with a superb stop volley.
Shapovalov has long been regarded as one of the most exciting young talents in the game, with his explosive onehanded backhand and all- court game.
IF DEFEAT to Japan at RWC2019 represented the lowest point in Ireland’s Rugby World Cup history, spare a thought for current coach Andy Farrell having to renegotiate the fixture without seven Irish Lions and an injured Garry Ringrose.
The problems of 2019 were (ridiculously) put down to ‘ performance anxiety’– nerves to me and you – by the official IRFU whitewash in the aftermath of the competition.
But there is a far a more plausible theory that goes back to 2017 and the Ireland tour to Japan.
Led by Joe Schmidt and without Farrell, who was with the Lions in New Zealand, Ireland’s second string hammered the hosts 50–22 – 40 points up going into the last five minutes – and then 35-20.
Schmidt never took them seriously after that and in planning for Scotland, South Africa in the quarters, and New Zealand in the final, would be punished for the sin of hubris.
Japan delivered humiliation i n spades at Shizuoka; Ireland didn’t next-to-near deserve to win the game and were happy to kick away the ball at the end.
Schmidt was furious, the squad was broken; the campaign sleep-walked into certain All Black defeat.
Enter Farrell, Schmidt’s 2019 assistant now elevated to the main job, and who looked like he had lost it again two games into the Six Nations, before righting the ship again – the most recent wins over Scotland and England were excellent.
He has unearthed Hugo Keenan, got Conor Murray back to form and seems determined to give players such as Caelan Doris and Ryan Baird free rein.
A further guess is Joey Carbery has only two or three chances left to stake his claim at No10 and Gavin Coombes and Robert Baloucounce will be central to the team come the 2022 Six Nations.
Crucial
All of which makes Japan today all the more crucial for Farrell, a match with baggage both of his own and not of his own making.
It is a must win game – Ireland’s mentality depends upon it.
The group needs moving on, the 2023 France Rugby World Cup project needs first-stage planning and with the 2022 calendar year approaching, the age profile needs tweaking.
Specifically, Carbery and Doris are currently integral to plans but given they occupy the two most important on-field positions, Farrell needs to be sure about having them on the bridge.
For their part, Japan are, in some sense, an open book here this