1 Response to madrid07nadal_murray

1. Voo de Mar says:

   October 21, 2021 at 9:02 pm

   Points won by each set: [ 42-43, 45-42 ]
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   26 % Nadal – 23 of 87
   25 % Murray – 22 of 85

   Now, 14 years later I can say that it’s really remarkable that Murray has never lost a ‘6-7 6-7’ match in singles (not counting his two exhibition defeats with this scoreline) which almost always indicates being at least five points away from winning both lost sets. So the question is: what’s the tightest two-set defeat in the long career of the Scot? # Within one non-calendar year he suffered two almost identical defeats putting himself in a good position to win both sets he lost. The first of those matches occurred in Madrid, during his second meeting with Nadal [2]. Murray [17] leading in the 1st set on serve, wasted break points in two games (five in total), then he was three points away from the set at 5:4* (15/0) & 4:5* in the tie-break. In the 2nd set he squandered three mini-set points, first leading 4:2* (40/15) – two backhand errors, then at 4-all when Nadal finished a spectacular rally with a dropshot.

   # Comparison of Murray’s tightest two-set defeats:
   Madrid 2007 (3R): Nadal d. Murray 7-6(5), 6-4… 2 hours 15 minutes… Total points: 87-85… Points away (3 & 5)… Breaks: 4-3
   Antwerp 2021 (2R): Schwartzman d. Murray 6-4, 7-6(6)… 2 hours 13 minutes… Total points: 80-73… Points away (6 & 2)… Breaks: 3-2
   Beijing 2008 (1R): Y.H.Lu d. Murray 7-6(5), 6-4… 2 hours 10 minutes… Total points: 95-88… Points away (1 & 5)… Breaks: 4-3
   Winston 2019 (1R): T.Sandgren d. Murray 7-6(8), 7-5.. 2 hours 9 minutes… Total points: 92-85… Points away (1 & 8)… Breaks: 3-2

   Log in to Reply