Murray speaks
“It was a scrappy match,” says Murray. “The last few days have been pretty tough. It’s been a stressful few days. Things have been changing all the time. I’ll try to refocus.” On his quarter-final opponent, David Ferrer, he says: “He always makes you work hard. It will be a tough match.” Off he trots. That was a good workout for Murray but he didn’t really have to do much more than allow Tomic to make errors when games became tight. Thanks for reading. Bye.
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Murray beats Tomic 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (4)!
Murray has the mini-break at 3-2. Tomic can’t handle the pace of a Murray forehand and he drifts a backhand wide. That’s 4-2. Murray aces with a scorching 129mph serve down the middle. 5-2. Tomic looks tired as he hits a weak backhand into the net. Four match points for Murray. He misses the first. He misses the second after Tomic puts huge pressure on Murray, increasing the pace on his forehand to make Murray have to try again. But he takes the third thanks to an over-juiced Tomic return and wins the tie-break 7-4. Well played.
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Third set tie-break: Tomic 1-3 Murray
Murray gets a mini-break, but as is the way in this match, Tomic breaks back immediately, using a whipped cross-court forehand to put Murray off balance and make him hit a forehand into the net. Tomic then stiffens up with a fantastic chance to take a 2-1 lead but hits a forehand volley into the net from mere metres. Murray breaks Tomic again. Murray should go on to win this …
Third set: Tomic 4-6, 4-6, 6-6 Murray* (*denotes server)
Murray shows steely resolve as he serves to stay in the set. He stands firm to take a 30-0 lead. But Tomic forces Murray out wide and makes him volley into the net. 30-15. Murray then drives a second serve into thebody of Tomic. He can’t move his hands quickly enough and overhits his backhand. Murray holds. Tie break.
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Third set: Tomic* 4-6, 4-6, 6-5 Murray (*denotes server)
The net helps Tomic out at 15-0, gathering a backhand volley in and then squirting the ball out on Murray’s side of the court. Tomic goes long to bring Murray back into it at 30-30. But a brilliantly-placed Tomic forehand gives him game point. A not-so-brilliantly placed Tomic forehand brings Murray back up to deuce. A big first serve. Advantage Tomic. Deuce. Ace. Advantage Tomic. Deuce. And then Murray shows wonderful balance to find the court with a backhand from down by his feet to bring up a break point. Tomic shows steel, though. A lovely shot and then an ace swings the game back into his favour at advantage. They trade deuce again and Tomic rushes into the net to try to finish this game off. He does.
Third set: Tomic 4-6, 4-6, 5-5 Murray* (*denotes server)
Murray serving to stay in the set. Ace down the middle. 15-0. Tomic is then ever so close with a huge forehand return down the line that is centimetres out. Murray’s 17th ace makes it 40-0. And another huge Murray serve puts the pressure back on Tomic. Great serving to take the sting out of the Australian’s game.
Third set: Tomic* 4-6, 4-6, 5-4 Murray (*denotes server)
Tomic double-faults. A sign of tiredness? He then tests Murray’s lung capacity, sending him skittering around court before forcing the Brit to overstretch on a forehand and find the net. 30-15. Murray battles back to 30-30 and then a fine Tomic second serve ace brings up game point. Murray’s having none of that. He jumps all over Tomic’s next second serve, nonchalantly zipping a backhand across court and home. Deuce. Tomic takes advantage and then shows feather fingers to win the game with a backhand half-volley that spins over the net and just lands in. Lovely stuff.
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Third set: Tomic 4-6, 4-6, 4-4 Murray* (*denotes server)
Tomic brings the best out of Murray with some explosive groundstrokes that Murray chases down before dispatching a backhand across Tomic and into the corner to make it 15-0. Murray drags Tomic up to the net on the next point before lobbing his opponent, who attempts to return between his legs but fails. If only Tomic had begun the match like this. Murray’s winning points instead of Tomic losing them now. But, still, Murray takes the game.
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Third set: Tomic* 4-6, 4-6, 4-3 Murray (*denotes server)
Tomic wins a rally of great variety at 15-0 up, forcing Murray on to the back foot before dispatching an overhead to raucous cheers from the crowd. Murray has no answer. Tomic finishes on an ace. Perhaps the Australian has embraced the ‘nothing to lose’ moment. Murray will have to be resolute on his serve to see this match out in the unfussy manner that was expected of him.
Third set: Tomic 4-6, 4-6, 3-3 Murray* (*denotes server)
Tomic tries to slam a weak Murray second serve back across court. He does, but it’s too long. 15-0. He’s right up for this now. Murray needs to remain calm and put out the fire that’s suddenly appeared in his opponent’s belly. He does, watching Tomic miss two returns before comfortably taking the game at 40-0.
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Third set: Tomic* 4-6, 4-6, 3-2 Murray (*denotes server)
Suddenly Tomic has a bit more pep in his step. His first serve looks well oiled and he races to 40-0 up. And now some sparkling tennis from Tomic. He sees the game out with a backhand volley plucked right from the top draw that gets the crowd off their feet and leaves Murray looking perplexed. He looked like he’d given up the ghost five minutes ago. Not any more. Wonderful stuff.
Third set: Tomic 4-6, 4-6, 2-2 Murray* (*denotes server)
Tomic wins a lengthy rally at the beginning of this game but it’s Murray error that gives him the point. 0-15. He steps in to zip a backhand down the line to make it 0-30. Hang on, he’s having a go. Murray tries to lob the big man as he rushes into the net and it’s 0-40. He suffered last time he rushed around court like that. Tomic hits long. 15-40. Suck it in Bernard. This time a return from a second serve lands at Murray’s feet. The Brit can’t return it. Tomic breaks.
Third set: Tomic* 4-6, 4-6, 1-2 Murray (*denotes server)
Tomic looks fatigued and beaten here. His body language is awful. He gives this game away with some errant backhands. He lets Murray break him without so much as looking like he gives a flying one. 40-15. Murray wins.
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Third set: Tomic 4-6, 4-6, 1-1 Murray* (*denotes server)
Murray finds the baseline to go 15-0 up. A deep second serve from Murray forces an error from Tomic. 30-0. An ace that sends Tomic the wrong way makes it 40-0. Big serve Murray. Game Murray. We’re on serve here. Who’d have imagined that after the helter-skelter breaks in the first set.
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Third set: Tomic* 4-6, 4-6, 1-0 Murray (*denotes server)
Will Tomic, a man who is not known for his physicality, battle back from two sets down in a five-setter? Not likely. He’s given a reasonable account of himself but the difference in class at the key moments in the match has been apparent. Murray has been sure-handed when it has mattered. Tomic hasn’t. Murray has taken a toilet break. I should have followed suit. Ah well. I’ll hold on. Murray returns to court, changes his top, and off we go. Tomic begins with two solid first serves and a stonking forehand from left to right that Murray hasn’t a prayer of getting to. 30-0. Murray halts Tomic’s charge and brings the game back to 15-30 but Tomic connects perfectly with a forehand down the line that gives him game point. From a leading position his forehand lets him down again. Deuce. Murray seems to slip during the next rally. He feels for his toes as though he overstretched. Advantage Tomic. A brilliant Murray return. Deuce. Tomic aces and then booms another big serve down the middle that Murray has no answer to. Game Tomic.
Second set: Tomic 4-6, 4-6 Murray* (*denotes server)
Murray to serve for the second set. Crash! Ace down the middle. He means business. Murray gives Tomic the chance to win the second point with a slightly lazy drop-shot. Tomic is on to it but he hits it wide when he should do better. Big serve. 40-0. Ace. His twelfth. Second set Murray!
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Second set: Tomic* 4-6, 4-5 Murray (*denotes server)
Tomic’s forehand lets him down at 15-15 and Murray takes a 30-15 lead. Murray then swings and misconnects with a Tomic second serve that wasn’t doing much more than saying a polite ‘hello’. Murray overhits a forehand to let Tomic off the hook. He challenges. Nothing doing. 40-30. And then Tomic, with a great chance to win the game, is found wanting on his forehand again. Deuce. Both players come into the net with some delicate drop-shots. You’d think Murray would win that particular rally wouldn’t you? He doesn’t. Murray finds the net. Advantage Tomic. Game Tomic.
Second set: Tomic 4-6, 3-5 Murray* (*denotes server)
Can Tomic put Murray’s serve under pressure here? Murray fails to get his first serve in but a second-serve with kick puts Tomic on the back foot and allows Murray to come into the net and force his opponent to miss. 15-0. The Australian shows class with a flat backhand down the line that Murray can only gawp at. 15-15. Tomic can do nothing with a big first-serve from Murray (30-15) but he battles back to 30-30. Tomic doesn’t attack a second serve from Murray when he has the chance to and the Brit wallops an indie-out forehand home. 40-30. Some velvet-gloved hands from Murray after coming into the net give him the game. Tomic is serving to stay in the second set.
Second set: Tomic* 4-6, 3-4 Murray (*denotes server)
Tomic still appears to be puffing and panting at the beginning of this game too. At 15-15 his forehand lets him down and Murray’s in with a sniff of a break at 15-30. Tomic recovers, though, and sends a slick forehand down the line to come back into it at 30-30 before sending Murray to the back of the court with a cross-court backhand before volleying home authoritatively. He sees the game out comfortably in the end. He was cool under pressure there.
Second set: Tomic 4-6, 2-4 Murray* (*denotes server)
Tomic gets himself into a long rally with a decent return of serve. He does nothing more than hang in there but Murray goes long. 0-15. A splendid rally then ensues in which both players trade drop shots. Tomic gallops back and forth trying to keep a lid on the rally but can’t keep a desperate forehand in as Murray caomes out on top. Tomic is gassed after that. Murray runs away with it. That’s why Tomic prefers to be still during rallies I suppose.
@GreggBakowski Tomic another pup who cud with a clip around the ear from Laver & The Woodies he may show us what all the hype is about then
— John McEnerney (@MackerOnTheMed) January 25, 2016
Second set: Tomic* 4-6, 2-3 Murray (*denotes server)
Tomic drags Murray around the court with some powerful groundstrokes and pushes the Brit into the corner with a delicious backhand that kisses the net on the way over. Murray can only reply into the net. Murray digs in and forces another error out of Tomic. 15-30. Tomic tries to be cute with a forehand drop-shot from mid-court but mishits. 15-40. He saves one break point. And then aces wide to save the next. Gutsy. Deuce. Murray bosses the next point and disguises a backhand to send his opponent the wrong way to bring up advantage. Tomic battles back to deuce but hands the advantage back to Murray by failing to get enough purchase on a low Murray forehand and finding the net. Murray mishandles his racket and mishits to allow Tomic to get back to deuce. The Australian finds a powerful first serve when he needs it. Advantage. A good second serve out wide draws Murray into a an overhit backhand. A resilient hold.
Second set: Tomic 4-6, 1-3 Murray* (*denotes server)
Konta has beaten Makarova. Well done Jo. Now can Murray have a comfortable service game? Perhaps. He begins with an ace. 15-0. Can he follow it up? Nope. Tomic rifles an inside-out forehand right to the corner of the court. Muray glances at it. ‘Nope, not chasing that one.’ Murray challenges a backhand of his down the line that looked well in to me. It is. Right on the line. Murray moves Tomic around the court and comes into the net to take a 30-15 lead. He almost blasts Tomic’s racket out of his hand with a serve down the middle before acing to win it. That was, indeed, more comfortable.
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Second set: Tomic* 4-6, 1-2 Murray (*denotes server)
Murray dictates the tempo like the world No2 he is in this game. He springs on to Tomic’s serve to bring up 0-30 and then plays a perfectly weighted backhand across court that Tomic can only watch like a static goalkeeper to bring up break point. Murray breaks Tomic for a fifth time. Can someone hold their serve please?
Second set: Tomic 4-6, 1-1 Murray* (*denotes server)
A game of errors. Murray dithers and allows Tomic to take a 15-0 lead. Tomic looks like he has a few too many shots in his head as he wafts a backhand into the net. Tomic is slow to the net as he hits a volley on to the net cord and watches it land out. He then rallies himself and jumps all over a Murray second serve with a ferocious backhand-winner down the line. 30-30. Tomic hangs in the next rally with his forehand, Murray arrives late to one and overcooks a forehand. Break point. The Brit then gives the game away with a forehand drop-shot from way too deep that doesn’t stand a chance of making it over the net. All square.
Second set: Tomic* 4-6, 0-1 Murray (*denotes server)
Tomic is lazy with a forehand, hitting a flat one into the net when he looked to be a good position and forcing Murray wide. Murray pounces on a weak second serve to go 30-15 up before Tomic’s forehand falters again after some industrious running from Murray put the Australian under pressure on the baseline. Murray goes long with a forehand on the first break point but dashes into the net to finish off some good craftsmanship with a backhand volley across Tomic and into the corner of the court.
First set: Tomic 4-6 Murray* (*denotes server)
Murray has been a bit up and down in this set. The consistency he has shown so far in this tournament hasn’t been evident. Tomic has played well but he’s hardly been wonderful. Murray gets a booming first serve in to go 15-0 up but Tomic strikes back with a courageous cross-court forehand that Murray attacks and hits long. 15-15. Murray raises his game and plays some solid groundstrokes behind his first serve to bring up set point. There then ensues a battle of sliced backhands that Murray wins thanks to Tomic crumbling in what seemed like a game of tennis limbo. First set for Murray!
First set: Tomic* 4-5 Murray (*denotes server)
Tomic bounces into his service game, going 30-0 up before Murray shows great dexterity with a backhand volley to leave Tomic staring at it from the back of the court. 30-15. The Australian makes an error to let Murray back into it at 30-30 before firing his second ace wide to bring up game point and forcing Murray long with a powerful forehand to see it out. He’s making Murray work for this.
First set: Tomic 3-5 Murray* (*denotes server)
Murray has raised his first-serve percentage to 57% and that helped him to recover after he let Tomic back into it mid-set. 15-0. Then he misses his first serve and drops a weak second serve into mid-court that Tomic dispatches down the line with an easy backhand. Ace. 30-15. Tomic keeps his forehand firm after a good Murray serve at 30-15 and stys in a rally that he finishes with an overhead smash. A fantastic return helps him to bring up a break point. He has a sniff. Boom! Murray aces. Sniff gone. Deuce. But Tomic makes Murray move with some wonderfully placed shots in a rally in which he almost stands still for the duration. Murray serves-volleys aggressively as if to jump all over Tomic’s mojo. Back to deuce. Tomic hits a tired backhand into the net. Set point. Murray misses his first serve, Tomic slams a backhand return at Murray and the Brit finds he net. Deuce. Murray comes into the net and gives Tomic a third break point by hitting an errant forehand volley into the net. A brave second serve knocks Tomic off balance and it’s back to deuce. But Murray is erratic here. He tries to juice a crosscourt backhand but it’s snatched at and lands into the net. Tomic breaks after a fantastic return of serve. On we go.
First set: Tomic* 2-5 Murray (*denotes server)
Tomic tries to rally down the middle of the court on too many occasions and hang in a game that Murray controls with sliced backhands. His serve isn’t bad but Murray is too good, too pumped up for him, to handle. 0-40. Game. Muray will serve for the set.
First set: Tomic 2-4 Murray* (*denotes server)
Murray fails to get his first serve in but makes up for it by dragging Tomic across court and then hitting a stern backhand down the line to take control. 15-0. 30-0. An 129mph ace down the middle brings up 40-0 but Tomic returns aggressively to halt Murray’s charge. 15-40. Murray finds 129mph again though with an ace down the middle. Much easier for Murray that. Shows you what a first serve can do for a game.
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First set: Tomic* 2-3 Murray (*denotes server)
Murray, presumably with the inner funk on, immediately strikes back. Tomic helps him on his way with a dreadful backhand that is hit long when he had the time and space to make it land. At 15-30 the match’s most enthralling rally takes place. It’s a 20+ stroke marathon that weaves around the court before Murray wins it with a phenomenal whipped cross-court forehand that tickles the edge of the line when Tomic looked to be in control. Tomic applauds it. Murray sees the game out and breaks back.
First set: Tomic 2-2 Murray* (*denotes server)
The crowd aren’t particularly boisterous in support of Tomic here. They presumably find him hard to like due to his off-court shenanigans. Murray gives Tomic a sniff with two overhit forehands. He’s a little impatient to be honest. A rollicking ace, his second of the match, brings it back to 15-30 though. Murray tries to be too cute with a drop shot as Tomic steams into the net. It hits the lip of the net and drops back to his side of the court. Murray gets back to 30-40 with a booming 130mph ace. Tomic then emerges from the match’s longest rally as the game’s winner, with Murray slamming a weak forehand into the net. He’s back in this.
First set: Tomic* 1-2 Murray (*denotes server)
Tomic carelessly slams a forehand into the net at 15-15 to give Murray another opportunity to pile the pressure on. Murray fires one long to bring Tomic back into it at 30-30. Tomic than juices a serve wide that Murray attacks but hits long. The Brit then finds his groove in a rally that goes all the way around the court to bring up deuce. Tomic sends Murray the wrong way after getting the upper hand on his serve but then allows Murray back into it but the young Australian focuses and plays two incredibly crafted points on his second serve to take his first game. Well done.
First set: Tomic 0-2 Murray* (*denotes server)
Murray’s rather erratic as he begins his first service game. A powerful opening serve helps bring up 15-0 but is followed by a double fault and then an overcooked forehand after Tomic returned right to the line, where Murray couldn’t shift his feet. Murray brings up 30-30 and defends well before Tomic shows his weakness on his forehand down the line, pushing one wide. 40-30. Murray looks in control as a 10+-stroke rally ensues but then carelessly hits a forehand into the net. Deuce. Murray grumbles about the big screen showing the live match through points instead of the usual highlights. Murray brings up advantage thanks to a Tomic error. It’s not the best service game from Murray this. He struggles to get his first serve in on a number of occasions. Tomic pounces on a second serve to bring up deuce again but Murray fires a cross-court bakhand in and then aces to win the game.
First set: Tomic* 0-1 Murray (*denotes server)
First blood Murray. He bends the game his way with a delicious backhand drop shot with a great deal of spin at 15-15. Tomic looks weak as he comes into the net at 15-30 and gives Murray an easy volley into the centre court to make it 15-40. Murray wafts a forehand return away to break immediately. Tomic may have some tactical thinking to do.
Tomic paces around out there waiting for Murray to make his way to the opposing side of the court. Tomic will serve first. Here we go …
Fistbumps with coach done. We’re almost ready to go …
👊 #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/sDKFDQw6hI
— Australian Open (@AustralianOpen) January 25, 2016
Andy Murray and Bernard Tomic have done their backstage stretches and are out on court at Rod Laver Arena. Both players have their gamefaces on as they strut out to warm up. The crowd appear to be a little more supportive of Tomic than Murray, but not by much. The Brit is very popular in Australia.
Greg Rusedski is giving Tomic absolutely no chance in this match. He laughs away Tomic’s talk of having learned from Anderson’s defeat of Murray in the US Open and just reckons Murray is too strong, too focused and too good to be troubled by the Australian. He reckons Tomic’s physicality and forehand need work if he’s to push into the world top 10.
The British No1 and Jo Konta has taken the second set against Katerina Makarova 6-4. It goes to a deciding set. Follow it here.
While we wait for Andy Murray and Bernard Tomic to make their way to the Rod Laver Arena I’ll just give you a quick reminder of some of the results so far today. Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka cruised to an easy 6-2, 6-4 win against Barbora Strycova. She’ll play Angelique Kerber in the last eight after she went through to the last eight for the first time with a 6-4, 6-0 victory over fellow German Annika Beck. The zany No23 seed Gael Monfils made it into the quarter-finals of the Australian Open for the first time after defeating the unseeded Russian Andrey Kuznetsov. He made a ridiculous dive for a shot at one stage perhaps forgetting he was playing on a hard court but managed to avoid injury. Meanwhile, David Ferrer and John Isner are on serve n the first set of their match on the Hisense Arena. The winner faces Murray or Tomic.
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The women’s British No1, Johanna Konta, lost the first set of her fourth round tie against Katerina Makarova but is a break up and 3-1 up in the second set. She’s having a tremendous tournament and is aiming to be the first British female player to make it into the quarter-finals of a grand slam since Jo Durie at Wimbledon just the 32 years ago. You can follow it live here:
In the match that has just finished on Rod Laver Arena, the fourth seed, Stan Wawrinka, has just been beaten in five sets by Milos Raonic. It’s a superb victory for the Canadian 14th seed. He showed great resilience after the momentum looked to be with Wawrinka, who had won two sets on the bounce going into the final set. It ended 6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 6-3.
Good morning/afternoon/evening. Welcome to coverage of the fourth-round match between the second seed, Andy Murray, and the 16th seed, Bernard Tomic. The odds here are stacked firmly in favour of Murray, who has beaten Tomic in their last three meetings without ever losing a set or being made to feel even a smidgin uncomfortable. However, Tomic will have a considerable wind behind him in the form of a boisterous crowd on Rod Laver Arena, who will try to give the Australian No1 a bit more pep in his step as he attempts to put Murray under pressure.
Tomic, who is no stranger to criticism for a perceived lax attitude, appears to be taking this match very seriously indeed and has been thorough in his research. He says he will use Kevin Anderson’s defeat of Murray in the last 16 of the US Open as motivation. “Andy loves playing players that attack. I don’t think he likes players like John Isner and Anderson,” Tomic said. “You have to take the ball to him, play aggressive, but not too aggressive, and rally at the right time.” So, perhaps he’ll try to draw Murray into attacking the game and look to exploit mistakes rather than push the tempo of rallies himself. A good tactical plan, or would it be folly to give a player of Murray’s quality the chance to shape the match? Given, he’s lost every set he’s ever played against Murray perhaps he knows better than anyone else what he needs to change. For a player as tall as he is, 6ft 5in, he can vary the pace of rallies quite skilfully. He may need to do that today if he is to prevent Murray from getting into the groove.
Tomic has had time to have a pop at Roger Federer too, which doesn’t seem the smartest thing to do. Responding to Federer’s perceived criticism of him in Brisbane earlier in the month when he appeared puzzled by Tomic’s lack of progress since emerging as a player of rich promise a few years ago, he said: “If he believes I’m very far away from the top 10, I also believe my prediction that he’s nowhere near Novak’s tennis right now.” I’m sure Federer is stinging.
As for Murray, he’ll be grateful that his father-in-law, Nigel Sears, has been released from hospital and is well enough to return home to be with Murray’s pregnant wife, Kim. he must have been a little shaken in the immediate aftermath of his four-set victory over João Sousa. He’ll need to focus again and continue to play with the authority that has led to his unruffled progress into the last 16 in Melbourne. I’m looking forward to this.
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