Top players tumbled out of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships left and right this week, but world No. 1 Andy Murray was not among the casualties. Murray, who saved seven match points in his quarterfinal victory over Philipp Kohlschreiber, captured the title on Saturday by beating Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 6-2.
The top-seeded Scot lost his first two service games of the match but a dropped a mere one point on serve in the entire second set.
“It’s nice to win and I played much better as the match went on,” Murray reflected. “I started a little bit slow, but I was solid. I wasn’t afraid to attack his forehand side. He’s got one of the best forehands, but I tried to move him around the court as much as I could. I defended pretty well and moved well. I served a lot better as the match went on. It was obviously good to win the first tournament here.”
“I think that obviously I had…if not the toughest opponent I can have in the final, then one of them for sure,” Verdasco assessed. “He’s No. 1 in the world right now. It was obviously a really difficult final to win, but I came trying everything and giving everything. I said yesterday that being in the final of a 500 after five years is a great week for me and I have to take the positive things.”
Murray-Verdasco highlights:
At the Abierto Mexicano Telcel, meanwhile, Sam Querrey put an exclamation point on an incredible week with a 6-3, 7-6(3) upset of Rafael Nadal in Saturday night’s title match. Querrey bludgeoned 19 aces to Nadal’s one on the way to securing the winner’s trophy after one hour and 34 minutes.
The 6’6” American’s run also featured wins over David Goffin, Dominic Thiem, and Nick Kyrgios.
“It’s definitely a tournament that I’m going to remember for the rest of my life,” Querrey assured. “It’s just one of those weeks where I got in the zone and everything was working for me. I hope I can have more like this.”
He had one last summer at Wimbledon, where his quarterfinal finish included a stunning third-round victory over Novak Djokovic. This time Nadal was the heavily-favored victim. The sixth-ranked Spaniard failed to convert on any of six break-point opportunities in the final.
“He played very well–almost reaching perfection,” Nadal said of Querrey. “I played under a lot of pressure because of his serve and baseline game. He left me with very few options, and the few I had he also played good. I have to congratulate him. I’m also very happy with my week and my game.”
“After the match against Goffin, I knew I could go far here if I continued to play at that level,” Querrey explained. “My forehand and backhand were great and my serve bailed me out of trouble when I needed it. I felt like I had a lot of support throughout the week and everyone has been so kind. It’s been a pleasure to play here.”
Querrey-Nadal highlights:
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Yeah ‘he left me with very few options’, but then you didn’t even make full use of that few options.
In the first place why camped at the baseline all night long? Don’t tell me it took you so long to figure that you’re not going to win from the baseline? It’s more like brain cramps during the match; at least tried doing something different in the second set, moved forward into the court, hit hard even if you’re hitting CC right at Querrey, pushed him back to extract a weak return and then moved to the net to hit a CC winner at the other corner, I’m sure Querrey won’t be quick enough to reach that ball!
Rafa left it too late to move forward, during second half of second set. He’s not calm enough too during crucial moments in the match. Hopefully he can win a final on clay, to at least make him believes he can still win some titles, clay is his only hope I feel. There are just simply too many players who can be better than him on the HCs these days, and may blow him off the court if he’s not careful.
Congrats once again to Andy who’s found his groove back after a premature loss at AO…with this win,he distanced himself a further more from his biggest rival-novak with an advantage of 2215 points..and very possibly that he can ‘runaway’ with more points after IW and Miami..Well done Andy!!C’mon!!
As for rafa…well,i don’t want to ‘punish’ him for this loss…God!it’s so easy to do that..we can list many things what he should do and what he shouldn’t but we forgot that this is a ‘rafa’ that still on a ‘rehabilitation’ phase..everything is still on trial..the mental toughness that was missing for the last two years although already was placed in rafa’s mind but the capacity is not full yet..the partnership with moya although sucessful so far but still at the ‘baby step’ stage…the body that was hampered by various of injuries and illness for the past 2 years has just started to function without pain once again and it will takes time for everything to click to perfection…for 2 years things look doom and gloom for rafa but enter this year everything start to look positive once again..2 finals in the last 2 important event sure can bring a smile and relief to us…if we learn not to demand too much from rafa,i think we’re be able to enjoy what he’s already gave to us this year and i think it’s not far before we see rafa will put his trademark bite on a trophy somewhere[insyaallah]…
VAMOS RAFA!!!WOOOHOOOO!!!
#INRAFAWETRUST!
I think it’s still the mental issue with him at a final, esp a HC final. The problem with him is that he keeps saying he needs to be aggressive etc but yet when it matters he just stays back behind the baseline and plays it safe.
He also has to come to terms with the fact that he’s not getting any younger and so he may not always win the baseline battle. I thought that’s obvious even for he himself to notice, he was struggling against Pouille, against A Zverev, against Dimi.
I remember a Fed struggling against Djoko from the baseline in 2011, and so Fed decided to move up to the net more often since. He did have some successes against Djoko since esp on the quicker courts.
Rafa should take a leaf from Fed’s book, plays more inside the court. His ROS positions too in the finals (AO and Acapulco) also left much to be desired. Again it’s the finals. He’s allowing Fed at AO and Querrey at Acapulco to serve aces after aces because he’s returning from so far behind the baseline that he simply couldn’t get his racket on the ball.
He simply has brain cramps in finals!
Sam was playing with extra energy in the his match v Goffin. I didn’t watch the final. And when I saw the result I was surprised! Glad I missed it. I don’t want to see Rafa getting beat by Sam Q. Nothing against Sam — just saying.
Sam with high confidence and a bit of swag on is a dangerous beast to anyone. Perhaps it’s a passing phase. I doubt he’ll keep the level I saw him play this week all year. Certainly have to look out for him in IW.
Waves to Mira Andy ? Indeed you are right about remembering how much Rafa has done and given. All of them lost this week Rafa, Roger, and Nole. Now sleep well, dear MA, we are in the countdown to the IW draw 😀
Happy for Andy Murray!
rc..i just sent u a msg on the other thread…i didn’t know u posted here!I think you’re going to smile to your ear if u read my msg there!Btw rc…see this….https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/bb/57/4c/bb574cac2ba548dc2a40bd787038bbab.gif
for your great job in ‘picking’!!…Woooohoooo!!
http://www.picdesi.com/upload/comment/awesome/awesome-020.gif
You are right…I have an ear to ear smile on. You never cease do you. Always the kindest heart and dearest soul.
Hey that Cibulkova article didn’t go far enough explaining. I wish they would be more detailed about how her mental coach turns negative into positive. And about finding the right mental emotional balance: Novak could use some help too!
Nny and my other fellow rafa fans…here is a great article to read…and maybe we can understand rafa’s problem much better after reading this…
http://www.wtatennis.com/news/article/6378326
Three Spaniards in three finals and all of them lost. Not a good week for the Spaniards where titles are concerned.