Ms. Mauresmo has showed up in Valencia. Good to see. Having fun too.
A firm handshake, yes?
Andy with some chick...and I am not jealous, no.
Do you recognize Corretja...Andy's former coach?
Not sure what's going on here. Do you think he's missing me too much here?
they are both Wimbledon champs Emma.
they do have a lot in common. they don't have similar games obviously but there is so much common ground there.
as for her being a good or great coach, only history will know the answer. we have to let some time pass.
Andy is shaking and baking.
Time snatch this Valencia title.
Hola herc, looks like Nadal is out for the rest of the season. He announced it today after the loss to Coric. He'll get his surgery done early Nov. I think that will give him enough time to recover for the next season come 2015. I understand it takes about 3 weeks to recover from the appendices surgery. Very typical surgery. Basel didn't help really as much as he had hoped for.
Nole and Jelena named their little boy 'Stefan'. What do you think? Doesn't sound too Serbian, does it? I was expecting a very cute name but it's not too bad. They are probably thinking if he becomes a tennis player then it will be easier for people to remember and of course, pronounce.
This reminds me, I completely forgot that Nole won Paris last year so he now must defend it because Federer is getting close. Too unfortunate because I was hoping he'd be able to enjoy his time with his family a bit more but duty is calling. He hasn't withdrawn yet so I am thinking he'll play. I am sure both Jelena and the baby will be fine and if anything goes wrong, I am sure Nole will have a backup plan.
Once again, Congrats to both of them. It seems to me things are going really great for Nole. Amen to that.
I was able to watch both matches vs Fognini and Anderson (our Channel 21 is showing taped delay and I was able to record both matches). Yesterday Andy played a nearly perfect match against Fognini based on the facts that he never faced any break points throughout the match and also, he was able to serve at high level and his 2nd serve was very much on. He won a high percentage off his 2nd serve.
Today however was a very different story. The 1st alone I think was over an hour long and the match was about 3 hours long. Very difficult match for Andy as suspected and his 1st serve was abysmal especially in the 1st set. My guess is, he wasn't in the mood today and wasn't feeling particularly confident and of course, Anderson is a very solid player. But Andy continued to get better as the match went on and didn't get broken in the final set despite breaking Anderson really early. That was a very positive sign to take away. He looked completely knackered after the match though. Not sure how much is left in the tank after this. Had he won the TB things could have been in straight sets but it wasn't meant to be. Anderson's downfall was his unforced errors - 47 at that.
So while Andy had an easy time against Fognini yesterday, who pretty much self-destructed, today's match was very tough for Andy. Ferrer, on the other hand, had a really back to back easy time against his last two opponents, so he's definitely the fresher of the two and of course, the hometown factor is still there. And I am sure last week results are still very fresh in Ferrer's mind. But Andy is desperate and he really wants this and if he can get past Ferrer, he'd have a somewhat easier time against Robredo/Chardy. So he must keep that in mind. His match was first today so I am hoping that will give him enough time to recover. I really expect him to serve really well and be aggressive and keep things short. But nerves will be the main factor once again. Really disliking this match-up week after week there's no other way right now.
they are both Wimbledon champs Emma.
they do have a lot in common. they don't have similar games obviously but there is so much common ground there.
as for her being a good or great coach, only history will know the answer. we have to let some time pass.
Don't get me wrong - I love Mauresmo. I watched many of her matches in the past in the 90s. I know very well what she's all about. The fact that she too is a Wimbledon champion is actually irrelevant. Andy has already won Wimbledon before Mauresmo came into the picture so there's really nothing for her to do there.
While Mauresmo was a great player and now a great coach I am sure, she's really not the right coach for Andy. She has nothing to teach or offer to Andy as whatever she had Andy has it too and more. The two department that Andy needs the most help at the moment - a strong and deadly mentality and great set of serves - Mauresmo lacks both. Just being there isn't enough. Imagine if Sampras were to be Andy's coach. The sight of him sitting in Andy's box would have caused a lot of fear in Andy's opponents and not to mention, that deadly and cool mentality of Sampras would have rubbed Andy off too. He would have felt much stronger and confident going into any important match. Not to mention how he would have helped Andy's 2nd serve. And both in fact.
Anyway, I take it Andy has hired Mauresmo strictly for emotional support. He must have felt a lot of emotion after winning Wimbledon and going through the back surgery later last year and it seems to me, Kim isn't enough in that department. She's probably great at home and as a girlfriend but it's entirely a different story when you are on court and fighting alone. Only someone who iwas in similar situation would understand what a player goes through under very difficult circumstances and clearly that's very important to Andy. And it's quite possible he didn't get someone he would have really liked to be in his corner so he settled with Mauresmo - at least for the time being.
But yea, let's give her time too but I do think the main changes will be made by Andy in the end.
I am very sorry to hear about your loss emma darling. you have remained strong.
may god continue to bless you be strong and to be healthy.
you mom and dad would be so proud of you today.
you are a great person. a person of highest character and integrity.
Aww...such a sweet post, herc darling. My heart completely melted away. I was incredibly close to 3 people - all being in the same family - and they have all left me 'temporarily'. It's very hard to live a life after that but I have greater understanding of life and what's beyond it, so it becomes easier to live a life that's not going to be very long anyway.
I always feel my parents' and brother's presence around me especially when I am alone and I always get the feeling they love me just the way I am, so yes, I am sure they are very proud of me. 
And I am sure you are also just as much caring especially the amount of driving you do just to be with your parents and give them some good time. It's always very lovely and refreshing to see. Keep it going, dear. You are just as wonderful.
Agree. I love when CD shares about his family. I wish I was able to spend more time with my mother and miss her dearly. She's been gone for so long, but like you, I still feel her presence.
Many people think they are too busy "living life" to bother with their parents, but CD has the right idea. I'm sure his parents are very pleased with the son that they raised.
they are both Wimbledon champs Emma.
they do have a lot in common. they don't have similar games obviously but there is so much common ground there.
as for her being a good or great coach, only history will know the answer. we have to let some time pass.
Don't get me wrong - I love Mauresmo. I watched many of her matches in the past in the 90s. I know very well what she's all about. The fact that she too is a Wimbledon champion is actually irrelevant. Andy has already won Wimbledon before Mauresmo came into the picture so there's really nothing for her to do there.
While Mauresmo was a great player and now a great coach I am sure, she's really not the right coach for Andy. She has nothing to teach or offer to Andy as whatever she had Andy has it too and more. The two department that Andy needs the most help at the moment - a strong and deadly mentality and great set of serves - Mauresmo lacks both. Just being there isn't enough. Imagine if Sampras were to be Andy's coach. The sight of him sitting in Andy's box would have caused a lot of fear in Andy's opponents and not to mention, that deadly and cool mentality of Sampras would have rubbed Andy off too. He would have felt much stronger and confident going into any important match. Not to mention how he would have helped Andy's 2nd serve. And both in fact.
Anyway, I take it Andy has hired Mauresmo strictly for emotional support. He must have felt a lot of emotion after winning Wimbledon and going through the back surgery later last year and it seems to me, Kim isn't enough in that department. She's probably great at home and as a girlfriend but it's entirely a different story when you are on court and fighting alone. Only someone who iwas in similar situation would understand what a player goes through under very difficult circumstances and clearly that's very important to Andy. And it's quite possible he didn't get someone he would have really liked to be in his corner so he settled with Mauresmo - at least for the time being.
But yea, let's give her time too but I do think the main changes will be made by Andy in the end.
Excellent post, Emma.
I was saying the other day somewhere or to someone that if Andy wants to improve that serve he should give Sampras a call. But maybe he is not available. As far as mentality, I don't know. It really looked like Lendl had improved that during his stay. Andy was noticeably not complaining to his box and seemed to have better control of himself, and was more aggressive on his shots, but it seems he has reverted to his previous style and comfort zone. Maybe it's something that needs constant reinforcement, or maybe it's just him and he can't change his stripes. Who knows? But I agree that it's doubtful that Mauresmo can help with those things, or was even hired for those purposes.
Respectfully,
masterclass
Great post general masterclass.
Happy Sunday everybody.
Que pasa Emma, lady TT, anikh, general masterclass, baron, yolita and the others.
The great dunblane warrior is on a roll.
That is 2 titles in a row.
Keep it going Andy.
Amazing win for Andy today. Just shows what can happen when the self belief starts returning. Tommy played a blinder too.
What a great match. You didn't want either to lose. It went down to the very last point. They both were exhausted. I haven't seen a fight like that in a long time. Robredo is something else. Man, I can't believe he is playing this well at his age. That was so nice the way that Murray acknowledged his great play. Andy is a class act.
Andy showed sheer guts and clutch to seal a chilling 3 sets victory over a firing and motivated Robredo. This is by far the best match I've watched in 2014. The quality and the fight they had in them and the amount of drama that it involved was really otherworldly. Respect for both, really. Andy obviously wanted it slightly more than Robredo in the end and that was really the deciding factor of the match. While most wrote him off after certain points during the match, even his most ardent fans I might as well add, it was Andy who never gave up even for a second and continued to believe in himself. Rest is history.
Now an in-form typical Andy wouldn't have had any problems putting Robredo aside in straight sets as he usually does - especially on hard courts. We have seen Andy routine the likes of Federer, Nadal and Nole in Masters in the past but things have changed since then. A post Wimbledon and post surgery Andy is a different man, we all know it. He had fallen as far bask as 11 in the pro ranking and we've even seen threads like 'Andy will never get back to top 10 again' and many other threads like that - things were that bad. We've seen him struggle against himself week in and week out. The non-stop muttering, smashing of racquets, shouting at his box - all the elements of struggle were all evident in each match. The battle was so big for Andy since 2013 Wimbledon, at times it felt like as if he's now given a bigger challenge after winning his 1st Slam and Wimbledon - to be or not to be a tennis player. What is life after you conquer your biggest dream.
Another factor was, Andy has played one too many matches the last few weeks to the point that even non-Murray fans didn't think he'd survive another battle. So Andy didn't really go into today's match feeling rather fresh. It was in fact quite the opposite.
On top of that, Robredo a 32 year old tennis veteran, upon realizing that he's now at the end of his career, desperate to capitalize as much as possible. In fact, he's playing perhaps the best tennis in his life.
So all those factors were there and it made the match much, much more difficult for Andy. In an ideal world, a much fitter and younger Andy would have seen a win with ease but we don't live in an ideal world and things are never that black and white.
Having said all that, there really wasn't any loser in that match. In my eyes, they are both winners. I must correct one thing though, as I read through some of the threads after a long time after the match, while Robredo had 5 MPs, in actuality he had only 2 true MPs. The other 3 were on Andy's serve and they were on serve in the TBs. Andy himself had a true MP at 5-4 against Robredo. Robredo didn't choke as much as people like to see that. Had he chocked he would have given that MP away to Andy but he fought hard and was very clutch. I guess some people just want to see what they really like to see and then they go and twist things to suit their argument. So even though Andy played those MPs better, he did so by putting in incredible effort that most of us couldn't have expected from any player, so let's just give credit where credit is due. And acknowledge the fact that, Robredo never choked. It was Andy's sheer will to fight and clutch act that saw him through those MPs. Andy just took himself on another level- a level that we don't typically see in tennis matches especially on big points.
But the most damning truth out there in all of this is, Andy is the better player regardless and mentally tougher than Robredo - he has 2 Slams, 1 Olympics Gold and 9 Masters to support that.