"That helped a little" - Andy Murray remembers clapping against Federer
Gael Monfils did not qualify for the ATP Finals this year, but he is still: Via Twitch in a daily talk format with Andy Murray . Episode 1 is in the crazy style of Daniil Medvedev, Nadal's record for the ages and Murray's smack against Roger Federer.
by Florian Goosmann
last edit: Nov 16, 2020, 03:15 pm
He looked unusually serious, the good old joker Gael Monfils, at his first Twitch talk with Andy Murray in the run-up to the ATP Finals. Incidentally, more episodes every day ... well ... should follow.
The two chatted for about an hour and a half at the premiere, and Daniil Medvedev was soon mentioned, even after his breakthrough in 2019, one of the players who there is more to talk about than others. Murray's assessment: “He's very intelligent on the pitch, changes his strategy during a match. Which is not the case with many players. He thinks a lot when he's on the field. "He also moves great for his biggest player, added Monfils." It sometimes looks funny when he's running, but he gets every ball. "
The appearance in tennis, that kind of thing anyway. "Everyone likes to watch Roger because of his style on the court. But Daniil is so effective in what he plays. Also when he returns, he returns from so far back, but has arms so long that he can is insanely good at defending. It doesn't always look pretty, but he knows how to win. And that's what it's about. You don't want to look beautiful playing and losing. It's better to look bad and win. " One thing the Monfils, the tennis artist who likes the spectacular shot rather than the effective one, agreed. "I know my way around that," he explained and laughed out loud.
Nadal's Paris record - one for the ages?
Rafael Nadal also earned enormous respect for his achievements at the French Open. The Spaniard has already won 13 times in Roland Garros, again this year without losing a set. That this record will ever be broken? Murray doesn't see it. "We've played at the level for many years. And the French Open is such a difficult tournament to win. Physically, mentally ... I just don't see that happening." At least, says Murray, as long as he's still alive. "Maybe someone will come in 100 years or so. But I don't believe in it."
Also how "easy" Nadal has won over so many years or made it look like that. He, Murray, had twice the dubious pleasure, both times losing in three sentences: "One time he killed me. The other time it was closer if you can say that in three sentences." Monfils knows the feeling, "A Scottish guy killed me once in the quarter-finals. I can't think of his name. Andy something ..." Meanwhile, he often lost to Federer, but never played against Nadal. "And I feel good about the idea."
Murray and the "embarrassing" Federer gossip
Murray has different memories of the ATP Finals. On the one hand there was the final victory against Djokovic in 2016, but also a bitter defeat against Federer in 2014. It was 0: 6, 1: 6 in the end, and it was "embarrassing", according to Murray. Jose Mourinho met him on the way to the locker room and just hugged him, "that helped a little". Because many people would say something in such cases, and mostly it would be the wrong thing.
On the way back, he questioned everything, his tennis, his team. “Sometimes, after such defeats, you think you have to change so much. At the end of the day, Roger played great and I didn't. ”Ultimately, you just have to keep going. At the following Australian Open, he then reached the final. "It's a strange sport, this tennis."
Monfils on Nadal: "... otherwise a 0: 6, 0: 6 comes very quickly"
Of course, Monfils has also had the experience of a "slap". In Madrid he was 0: 6, 0: 1 behind against Nadal. And felt: “I have to play the next game now. Because it can go quickly against Rafa. "Against Federer it was once a 0: 6, but against Nadal," every point is such a fight. A win in the game can slow him down a bit. Otherwise there is a 0: 6, 0: 6 damn fast. "
No matter how fast things could turn in tennis, you saw this year in Rome, Murray referred to Sofia Kenin's 0: 6, 0: 6 against Victoria Azarenka. Shortly afterwards she reached the finals in Roland Garros. At the moment when you have to put up with a hard defeat, "self-confidence can be gone very quickly," said the Scot. "But if you work hard, things can change very quickly."
o2arena