[Rodre Fegassi]

Murray always seems to have a game plan when facing Nadal. Most of the time that game-plan fails. He tries to hit big and flat to the forehand to set up a short reply, he tries to pummel the backhand to get a short reply, he tries to get to the net as often as possible. He tries to implement Djoker 2.0 tactics. It never works but at least he has a plan(s).

Against Djokovic I feel like he doesn't have a clue. And I'm not surprised because Djokovic doesn't have a single weakness like Rafa does (backhand, serve, shots that often don't penetrate the service box).

If you junk/slice against Djokovic he makes you pay with his big forehand, largest strike-zone in the men's game and superior movement. If you hit down the line he'll catch you out cross-court, if you hit cross court he can burn you down the line off both wings. If you hit heavy topspin we've seen what he can do to that and if you hit fast and flat he can re-direct your pace. If you serve and volley he'll pass you every time. If you serve an ace he'll hit a return winner. If you try and out-grind him you're insane, but you can't hit winners because of his consistent depth. If you get too passive he'll reel out the winners. If you draw him to the net, he will put away the volley. There is literally nothing Murray (or anyone) can do.

Djokovic is truly absolutely invincible.

Djokovic's tactics, on the other hand will be simple: hit, serve and volley everything to the Murray forehand and smack his second serve into oblivion.

 

[Saberq]

yeah his gameplan against Nadal is how to lose every single time when it counts

 

[Rodre Fegassi]

yeah his gameplan against Nadal is how to lose every single time when it counts

How would it have counted for him to have beaten Nadal at any of 2011's grand slam semi's when he would just have gotten whooped by invincible Djokovic or Federer at the finals anyway?

We know that Djokovic beats Rafa and Rafa beats Murray - that means if Djokovic plays Murray directly he would DESTROY Murray by much more than he destroys Rafa.

 

[Saberq]

How would it have counted for him to have beaten Nadal at any of 2011's grand slam semi's when he would just have gotten whooped by invincible Djokovic or Federer at the finals anyway?

We know that Djokovic beats Rafa and Rafa beats Murray - that means if Djokovic plays Murray directly he would DESTROY Murray by much more than he destroys Rafa.

by that logic Novak shits on Rafa and Rafa on Fed so Novak should destroy Fed right?not true ...but Novak will beat Murray every team in Slam because Murray's level dips every team when it counts and he mentally checks out

 

[Getta]

can't wait to see them all back on court in 2012 doing powerful stuff and such

 

[abraxas21]

didnt murray have fako against the ropes in rome this year?

there too much fail in the OP. Fakovic doesnt have any particular weaknesses but he's not particularly good at attacking as he's defending. he also deeply lacks variety. i kind of laughed at the idea that djokovic goes to the net against nadal.

 

[Saberq]

didnt murray have fako against the ropes in rome this year?

there too much fail in the OP. Fakovic doesnt have any particular weaknesesses but he's not particularly good at attacking as he's defending. he also deeply lacks variety. i kind of laughed at the idea that djokovic goes to the net against nadal.

Djokovic can attack with the best of them .......

 

[Caesar1844]

Just junk it up. Djokovic plays Lendl tennis. He likes a rhythm and struggles against players who don't give him that. Muzza is good at serving up funky slices, he needs to stop retreating into his shell so much and take the initiative in matches.

Most of the guys who have tested Djokovic this year past the end of the first set have done so by constantly trying new things and not letting him settle into his metronome play.

 

[MuzzahLovah]

Yep, Murray just has to do what he usually does, get him out of his rhythm with variety, like he did in Cinci before Djokovic remembered he doesn't have have heart like Nadal to lose a 6-0 set.

Djokovic's forehand has been great this year, but that is all confidence and focus. With enough annoyance he can probably be brought to spray it on important points, which he loved doing against fed all those years.

 

[xdrewitdajx]

Djokovic's passing shots leave a lot to be desired at times, so going to the net every now and then isn't that bad of an idea.
Best thing Murray can do is just switch things up. Don't let Djokovic get into any rhythm. And he needs his 1st serve % to be respectable, it tends to suck when it counts. His 1st serve is a weapon that he doesn't use enough.

 

[mooncreek]

Actually, Murray does know how to play Djokovic. He's a hell of a lot closer than Nadal.

Look at their three matches this year: you cannot count a GS final when it involves Murray, the Rome match was the best challenge Djokovic got on the clay courts before the Federer loss (considering Novak is superior to Andy on that surface, I'd say a really big deal), and the Cincinnati final is tough to judge due to Novak's health. Prior to this year, Murray had won their last few matches.

 

[freeandlonely]

Keep his first serve nowadays and be more aggressive on the baseline and that's it.
I disagree that Djokovic have become a defender, by the way.

Off topic, what Nadal really has, is power. Very strong power and the following super topspin. So he doesn't need to go for shot everytime.
Murray, who doesn't have that much power, have to go for shots against Nadal.
It's risky, but he must do it, unless Nadal has a really bad day.
And Djokovic is super returner when against Nadal this year.
He doesn't pursue ridiculous angle, he is smart, he has strategy, return to Nadal's body or anywhere Nadal doesn't feel comfortable is more than enough.
Murray is a good returner, and he must be better if he wants BIG.

 

[Naudio Spanlatine]

OH LORD LET THIS DEBATE BEGIN :spit: :yawn:

:secret:

 

[The Magician]

Hope this helps :wavey:

 

[MTwEeZi]

not choking

 

[Saberq]

being injured in the first video helped a lot ......4>0

 

[The Magician]

being injured in the first video helped a lot ......4>0

the only thing it helped was Fakervic's bruised ego when he was getting outplayed :wavey:

 

[Saberq]

the only thing it helped was Fakervic's bruised ego when he was getting outplayed :wavey:

only 1 player can outplay Novak and he wasnt there .....

 

[Sapeod]

Djokovic can attack with the best of them .......

Hardly. He can only defend. Plus, he has NO variety whatsoever. Murray had him at his mercy in Rome but threw it away. Murray just needs to play with variety and nice attacking tennis coupled with his usual game and he'll beat Djokovic.

 

[blank_frackis]

Rome is a good illustration of what Murray has to do to beat Djokovic (even though he lost the match). He came out in the first set and tried to be overly aggressive. He ended up getting hammered in that set. Then he reverted back to his natural game and tried to get Djokovic out of his rhythm, which worked in the second set and very nearly ended up with Murray winning the match.

It's easier for Murray to play Djokovic than Nadal in my opinion because his natural game works to an extent. I'm not saying he'll beat Djokovic in a slam any time soon, but he at least has a chance playing his natural game. Against Nadal his natural game has absolutely no chance and he knows he has to hit Nadal off the court, which doesn't suit him. There's also arguably a mental block there with Nadal that is more severe than it is with Djokovic (Djokovic being one of his peers and Nadal being a guy Murray looked up to in the earliest part of his career).