ATP Masters Indian Wells: Andy Murray - After the ball cuddle now against the hard hitter
Andy Murray mastered his opening task at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Indian Wells against Adrian Mannarino. Now a duel with the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz is waiting.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Oct 09, 2021, 10:29 am
Several calls to the "Lost and Found" would ultimately have led to the desired success, namely the replacement of two pairs of tennis shoes and his wedding ring. Andy Murray explained that after his effortless opening success against Adrian Mannarino at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Indian Wells.
Murray seems to be really enjoying everything on the ATP tour these days, see also his fantastic mustache, which he wore in San Diego. In the 6: 3 and 6: 2 against Mannarino, the two-time gold medalist at the Olympic Games was once again able to unpack his entire arsenal of defensive strokes, much to the delight of the spectators, who celebrated Murray's first match win in Indian Wells since 2016.
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Tsitsipas ennobles Alcaraz
Adrian Mannarino is now a man who plays with a lot of finesse and is less about the tempo. Mannarino caresses the ball, if it weren't for the backspin, you might think that the balls of a Mannarino match would last forever. Andy Murray's next opponent is now the diametrical opposite of a ball cuddler: Carlos Alcaraz.
The Spaniard was ennobled by Stefanos Tsitsipas at the US Open as the man who hits the ball hardest on the ATP tour. Tsitsipas may not have played against every possible hard hitter yet, but the Greek's verdict should be taken seriously. In any case, Alcaraz's current season has been so strong, crowned by the first tournament victory in Umag and the quarter-finals of the US Open, that the 18-year-old made it into the seeded list in Indian Wells. Some rejections played a role, but the Spaniard's rise is remarkable.
Murray in Indian Wells without a tournament win
Alcaraz still had to qualify in Roland Garros, managed it and was eliminated in round three against Jan-Lennard Struff. At the US Open he was in the main field for the first time by virtue of his world ranking position, won against the favored Cameron Norrie at the beginning, then beat Tsitsipas and Peter Gojowczyk in five sets before he had to give up against Félix Auger-Aliassime due to injury. Carlos Alcaraz has not played a match since then.
Will that be an advantage for Andy Murray? The well-known high take-off in Indian Wells is more of a benefit to those people who offer a lot of spin and, on the other hand, get along well with it. In his most successful time, Murray was basically sausage, but it was never enough to win a tournament in "Tennis Paradise". On the other hand: Years ago, Murray almost never appeared so happy to be able to play tennis at a high level.
Here the single tableau in Indian Wells
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