1 Response to queensclub05johansson_murray

1. Voo de Mar says:

   January 20, 2021 at 10:14 pm

   Points won by each set: | 43-39, 40-44, 48-38 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   32 % Johansson – 38 of 116
   25 % Murray – 34 of 136

   [357] Murray’s second main-level event, and 15 years later, it’s still his tightest 3-set loss. The 18-year-old Scot displayed versatile & mature tennis (he was already serving ~130 mph/210 kph) against a former Grand Slam champion, and each set could go either way. In the opener Johansson [20] saved break points at 3:4 & 4:5 with fine serving before winning the tie-break 7/1. In the no-break 2nd set Murray was slightly better, but in the tie-break he trailed *1:4 before winning it 7/5 (two points away from defeat at four different occasions in the set). Very high quality decreased in the decider as Murray began showing signs of cramps which introduced an arrhythmic game. The brave Scot, despite pain, withstood a triple break point at 3-all and another one at 4-all. He led 5:4* (30/0) when the Swede obtained a point with a sliced service winner. The following point was crucial – Johansson decided to propose a serve-and-volley action and Murray slipped playing a defensive lob. It was a disaster because the fall not only aggravated cramps, Murray also sprained his left ankle a bit. After the help of a physio, he came back on court trying to fight, but the experienced Johansson knew what to do, and wisely forced Murray to running which caused another collapse and another interruption. The Swede won the last 12 points of the match, with three pauses (the third at change of ends) it lasted 17 minutes in total. Four years before, he had lost a match to Safin (7-6, 6-7, 3-6) in Dubai when the Russian was struggling with injury in the decider.

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