Andy’s out to silence the French jeers again
ANDY MURRAY has managed to turn tackling away fixtures i nto the kind of art form seen from the great Arsenal team of 11 years ago.
The Gunners went 27 games undefeated on the road between 2003 and 2004 and the tennis world No 3, who supports Hibs but seems to consider Arsenal as his second team, has beaten the last 25 opponents he has faced in tournaments held in their own country.
Murray has also won his last 11 ‘ away’ matches i n the Grand Slams and that record will get another test this afternoon when he faces Jeremy Chardy before the Frenchman’s own fans i n the fourth round at Roland Garros.
The French Open has arguably the most passionate and knowledgeable f ans i n the game, although this match-up hardly lacks an edge already.
As Chardy admitted on Saturday, he was unhappy about what happened in Rome three weeks ago when Murray beat him at the Italian Open and then pulled out of the event, citing fatigue.
This is unlikely to bother the 28-year-old Scot (right), who seems to be fired up by any hostility, as has been witnessed at this venue before in matches against the likes of Richard Gasquet and, in last year’s quarter-final, the hugely popular Gael Monfils. Murray was unaware of his hold over players in their own backyard when presented with the statistic, but feels he is well-armed to deal with the situation.
‘One of the things before going on for those sorts of matches is to prepare myself — “OK, the crowd is going to be tough” — and just get myself in the right frame of mind before I go out there,’ he said. ‘I don’t know if all players do that or talk about that with their coach, but that’s something I always try to do.
‘I don’t mind playing in those kinds of atmospheres. Obviously I prefer it when the crowd is behind me but it’s something that you have to enjoy, it’s a challenge and you accept it.
‘I have a lot of experience now and it’s not something that fazes me when I go out on court, so I just try to play. It’s not like every time I’m playing away it’s been against Rafa or Roger or Novak. I don’t know why I have a good record, but I do enjoy it. ‘I try to tell myself when they’re booing me they’re booing him. I think in football the crowd obviously get pumped whe n the home team is attacking whereas in tennis it’s kind of no noise in the middle of the rallies so it shouldn’t put you off. When I’m on the court, I don’t do any mental exercises, I just get on with it.’
Chardy is ranked 45th but has, by all accounts, been playing exceptionally well. Rangy and powerful, he has beaten John Isner and highly-rated Belgian David Goffin to get this far. He pushed Murray closer than the straight-sets scoreline suggested in Rome, but if the conditions are cold and quite slow — which is expected today — then that ought to work in the Scot’s favour. Just how far Murray stands apart from the rest of British tennis is shown up in the appalling statistic that this week’s French Open junior boys’ event is the sixth in succession where no Briton has gained automatic entry.
With doubts growing about LTA chief executive Michael Downey’s grasp on how to improve matters, British tennis today opens its most high-profile period of the year with the onset of the grass court season.
Challenger level events are taking place for the men in Manchester and the women in Eastbourne, heralding the start of an elongated seven-week swing towards the second half of July. It takes in four weeks of international tournaments, the Wimbledon fortnight and the Davis Cup quarter-final against France at London’s Queen’s Club. Not bad for a surface threatened with becoming obsolete 20 years ago.
Katie Swan, the 16-year-old from Bristol who reached the Australian Open junior final in January, showed her fighting spirit by coming back from 5-1 down in the decider to beat Michaela Gordon of the United States 4-6, 6-4, 8-6 in the girls’ first round.