[Mercury]

Originally Posted by MuzzahLovah

Tell me Murray is never fun to watch again.

I just watched the 2 first points in this vid. It took 2 min 13 sec and was 99% a tedious boring snooze fest of moaning from the baseline with the occasional game of tennis breaking out for the last 3 strokes of a rally.

Seriously, how you can regard that as fun is beyond me.

[Gris]

Ballbashers' matches are more interesting to watch

[MuzzahLovah]

Originally Posted by Mercury

I just watched the 2 first points in this vid. It took 2 min 13 sec and was 99% a tedious boring snooze fest of moaning from the baseline with the occasional game of tennis breaking out for the last 3 strokes of a rally.

Seriously, how you can regard that as fun is beyond me.

Watch the rest- most the points aren't more than a handful of strokes. If you can't appreciate that then

[Shinoj]

Because Ballbashing is a Talent. To Hit the Ball hard and to make it land in the Court is a Skill and is an Aggressive Style of Play While the Tacticians use Shrewd techniques to Win the Point. Always an Aggrressive Team or Player will be lauded more than a Defensive Player because Agressive tactics require more Effort while Defensive Players mainly prey on opponents Mistakes.

Attack is way more Difficult than Defense and Thats why it is appreciated and rightly so.

[Cereal Killer]

Originally Posted by MuzzahLovah

Watch the rest- most the points aren't more than a handful of strokes. If you can't appreciate that then

Those winners are just an illusion.

People don't like Murray and they have been told that he's too passive for years. Once a pusher, always a pusher. At least on this site. He could hit 400 winners in his match today and would still be considered a pusher.

[70-68]

attack >>> defense

however, "pushers" with variety >>> one dimensional ballbashers

[MuzzahLovah]

Originally Posted by silver lining

Those winners are just an illusion.

People don't like Murray and they have been told that he's too passive for years. Once a pusher, always a pusher. At least on this site. He could hit 400 winners in his match today and would still be considered a pusher.

It's like they haven't watched him play in years.

[Mercury]

Originally Posted by MuzzahLovah

Watch the rest- most the points aren't more than a handful of strokes. If you can't appreciate that then

Yeah alright, being at work and short on time I was pissed by the first 2 points and didn't watch the rest, it is actually quite a spectacular match by Murray and watching him destroy Nadal's moonballs from the baseline was an absolute joy, but that just adds to the point of this thread, the man ball bashed out of his mind in that 3rd set bagel and it's a joy to watch, the baseline pushing marathons in the first set were more representative of his usual style of play and that's why he's appreciated less, it's simply less fun to watch...

[chalkdust]

I think the main thing people resent in Murray's play is the fact that he is capable of seizing the initiative more than he does, and that in fact this would be to his own advantage, as well as more exciting to watch.

If a tactic works, it is tough to say it is wrong, even if it is boring, and you therefore have to respect it. But often it is Andy's passivity that can cost him a match, or make a match much longer than it needs to be, which can cost him a match later in the tournament.

I was really struck by the fact that, in the US Open final, it was Djokovic who came to the net more often - and successfully - even though Andy is probably a more natural volleyer.

As regards ball-bashing, the slowness of the courts these days has really deprived all but the most powerful players of even the option of playing in that style. Viewed in that light, you can't really complain about players who are not 1.95 metres tall if they choose to play more conservatively. After all, if your hardest shot is still not hard enough to get past your opponent, there is no point in going all out, because you are likely to make more errors for no conceivable benefit.

This is why everyone wants the courts speeded up, because we know that will give more players the opportunity to play aggressively, and get rid of this tendency in tennis for lumbering giants (the only people who can ball-bash on slow courts) to slug it out in a game of roulette with actual tennis players of normal size and athleticism.

Federer, of course, is the exception, a great athlete and a sensational player in both attack and defence.

[green25814]

Originally Posted by MaxPower

Can compare to other sports like boxing. Who would people rather watch? A tactician that spends round after round trying to avoid hits while countering getting points to win by decision, or someone who goes for a knockout even if it can cost him the match?

Real boxing fans wouldn't care. Only casual fans care about knockouts, the real fans are more interested in technique. Its not the same on MTF here, people have a very immature mindset towards tennis.

[Slasher1985]

Well, if we are to talk about boxing, the thread should be renamed to:

"Why are facebashers more highly regarded than tacticians like ..."

Or football:

"Why are goalbasher teams more highly regarded than tacticians like ..."

[TigerTim]

"Nadal the greatest forehand in tennis"

[shadows]

For the same reasons people care about who wins the 100m at the Olympics but almost no one gives a shit about the 3000m steeplechase.

[Jverweij]

Originally Posted by green25814

Real boxing fans wouldn't care. Only casual fans care about knockouts, the real fans are more interested in technique. Its not the same on MTF here, people have a very immature mindset towards tennis.

there are fans of pretty much every player and every style on these forums . Just because they see things differently from the way you see them, doesnt make their mindset immature. Also, I'm getting abit tired of people claiming that there are "real fans" of any sport, and ofcourse telling others what those "real fans" prefer.

So to add some nuance here. I prefer to watch attacking tennis, because I like it when players take risks. I can also appreciate good tactics on court though. I just don't like it when players keep the ball in play with the sole reason of hoping to draw errors from their opponent.

[leng jai]

Originally Posted by MuzzahLovah

Watch the rest- most the points aren't more than a handful of strokes. If you can't appreciate that then

That's the saddest thing about Murray. He has the ability to play good attacking tennis but he chooses to pissfart around 80% of the time.