French Open 2014: Is Andy Murray Ready to Be a True Threat on Clay?

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: June 2, 2014

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When you think of the French Open, Andy Murray is likely not the first player to come to your mind.

However, perhaps it's time to give the Brit a little more credit on the dirt. On Monday, Murray beat Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 to advance to his fourth Roland Garros quarterfinal, his third straight. (He didn't make the quarterfinals in 2013, but that's because he didn't play the French Open that year.)

Murray might not be at home on the clay court as much as his Big Four partners Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer are, but he's no Andy Roddick on the surface, either. And Murray seems to look better and better on the clay as the years go by. 



He looked downright dangerous in his fourth-round win over No. 24 Verdasco, pummeling balls from the baseline, pulling the trigger when necessary and moving around with (relative) grace.

BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller noted that Murray is seeming to have more and more fun on clay as the season goes on:

Murray enjoyed this duel of thrilling rallies so much, you started to wonder whether he was tempted by the prospect of a fourth set.

He moved very well and hit the ball with real conviction: if he can improve his serve and become more ruthless with all the break points he generates, he will be a formidable competitor for the very best on clay.

A couple of months ago, it would have been hard to pick Murray to make the Roland Garros quarterfinals. After the 2013 U.S. Open, Murray took the remainder of the season off due to back surgery, and he has struggled to find his form this season, dropping all the way to No. 8 in the rankings. 



Including this French Open so far, he's 25-9 with no finals and doesn't have a Top 10 win in 2014. In March, Ivan Lendl, who had led the Brit to two major titles, parted ways with Murray. Since then, Murray has been searching f...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Tennis

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