Worst tennis style ever + stupid computer game.
written: 1:59 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 17, 2009

Since it was at a decent hour (1.30 a.m.), I decided to watch the final in hopes of seeing Murray lose.

Well, I did see him lose the first set, which was great. But then, poor Del Pot lost the second. After that I decided I'd had enough and went to bed. Woke up this morning and found out Del Pot tanked the third, 1-6.

I feel sorry for him. He was the better player for a set and a half, but he was clearly exhausted. In the first place he always looks like he's half dead after like the opening service game of a match, but last night he was really dying. He had some problem in his shoulder and he got the trainer out towards the end of the second set and his general exhausted, on-the-verge-of-fainting demeanour simply did not inspire any confidence in the spectator. I mean, really. No disrespect to the opponent (YEAH RIGHT MURRAY YOU SUCK) but Del Pot's atrocious lack of fitness lost him the match.

Last night was also the first time I watched an Andy Murray match for an extended period of time in quite a while. Ever since Murray started losing before he could meet Roger in the later stages of Grand Slams, I've had the brilliant luxury of steering clear of his boring-ass matches. Watching him for two sets has only reinforced my burning hatred for him, and even more so when he was juxtaposed against Del Potro, one year his junior.

Here are the reasons:

Boring-ass tennis.

1. Counter-punchers suck. Andy Murray is a shameless counter-puncher.

2. Counter-punchers don't do anything except push the fucking ball around the court and wait for their opponent to make the error. Murray wins his matches on his opponent's errors. He doesn't do anything special. This was the case in all his non-Slam victories against Roger (always in the SF stage, never in the final; only time they played a final, Roger won his 5th straight US Open. And in a year where he went into the US Open with no Slams).

3. Tennis is more than just putting the ball back into play. Tennis involves more than endlessly baselining back and forth, and waiting for your opponent to make the error.

4. I love the intricacies and nuances that tennis is capable of having, the same intricacies and nuances that better players, all-court, complete players, are capable of displaying. The tennis that I love watching is the kind that is intelligent, tactical, and attacking. I love watching players win points with a winner, not with their opponent's unforced error. (Forced errors - different story. Though sometimes it's hard to tell.) The point isn't winning the point; the point is the manner in which you win the point. Roger insists on winning prettily, and that is one of the many reasons I love watching him. Andy Murray's victories over Roger are some of the ugliest tennis I've ever seen.

5. At the start of the match, before Del Pot took relative control of the rallies, it was really utterly boring. It was just two guys on a tennis court pushing the ball back and forth to each other. Battle of the Two-Handed Backhand. Does anyone really care? Because I sure as hell didn't.

6. The difference between Murray and Del Pot laid in the manner in which they approached the match. Murray, ever the passive counter-puncher, got his ass kicked plenty when Del Pot leapt on his short balls and fired off a winner. Murray can chase down balls all he wants, but it's useless chasing down a fucking clear-cut winner when his opponent smashes a winner at the net. Really, what is the point? That is why Rafa is having knee problems.

7. Maybe, instead of chasing down every single fucking shot, he should consider hitting some winners every now and then. Seriously. He plays cautiously on the big points and then he loses them. Del Pot plays bravely on the big points and he wins them. Murray had so many break chances in the first two sets, but Del Pot denied him every single time (save one, but Del Pot broke back immediately) because he played well enough to save those break points, instead of just giving them away like Murray obviously hoped he'd do.

8. Counter-punchers are fucking lazy. I have zero respect for a player whose game plan is to stand around, push the ball around, hoping his opponent makes the error. If you want to win the point, you have to win it yourself. Therefore, don't scream and whine and throw your fucking racquet when your opponent has the fucking balls to play well and aggressively on the big points. It's your damn fault for not stepping up to the plate. Have you seen the way Roger Federer plays on his opponent's break points? When he wants to win something, he goes out to get it. He doesn't stand around and hope his opponent makes the error.

9. Therefore, Andy Murray is a retard. He does not deserve the #2 ranking. He doesn't even have the bullishness that Nadal has. Not a fan of the bull, but credit has to be given where it's due: Nadal chases down everything not in a stupid way. Murray chases down everything in a stupid way.

10. It was hilarious watching Murray scramble from left to right, right to left, up and down, down and up, and down again, eventually losing the point. Very proud of Del Pot for winning that exchange at the net (forgot which stage of the match) with the volley going behind Murray.

11. This comment pretty much sums up Murray and why I hate his tennis: "You deserve a congratulations for staying in the match to watch Del Potro play the current biggest snoozefest in tennis. Shades of Michael Chang. It is pure torture watching Murray and were he not playing Del Potro I'd rather pull the skin off my face than watch him. We're war buddies now."

Horrible, petulant, childish, immature attitude

1. The contrast between the two players in terms of their demeanour was stark: On the one hand was Murray, screaming his face off when he failed to convert break points, shouting "come on"s obnoxiously when he hit some ace after Del Pot won the preceding point in an entirely exciting fashion, and throwing his racquet around like a petulant child. On the other hand was Del Pot, who lost points and got broken and had to play so many deuce service games, but who just went along and played his game. No complaints, no temper tantrums; he just trucked along and did his thing.

2. Murray needs to keep his mouth shut. His attitude is so foul and objectionable, even if I didn't hate his tennis there's no way I'd warm up to him. I cannot stand players who throw temper tantrums when they're not winning as if they're some six-year-old child. Murray is older than Del Pot, and yet he behaved like a complete baby. It's this shit-assed behaviour of this that shows his true colours, not the diplomatic shit he feeds the stupid press (especially the stupid British press. May I remind everyone in London that Murray is Scottish, not English?).

3. Another reason Murray doesn't deserve #2, and doesn't to deserve to be ranked above Nadal? Nadal doesn't piss and moan and whine when he's losing. He just goes about doing his thing. Just like Del Pot. Just like...everyone, pretty much (okay, except maybe Djoke).

4. In terms of the top 10 players, Andy Murray gets the #1 ranking for Worst Attitude. Oh my god, watching him was pure torture. I wanted to slap him everytime he looked sour and petulant, and everytime he threw his racquet around when he lost the big points. Who the hell can he blame but himself? And I'm sorry, but I feel zero sympathy for someone who's passive on the big points and still expect to win them. Utterly retarded.

5. Murray needs an attitude revamp ASAP. But he's been like this since I started watching tennis, which was almost a year ago.

Conclusion

Boring counter-puncher + horrible shit-assed attitude = my most hated tennis player ever. In the history of ever. JMac got away with his temper tantrums because he was actually talented; can't say the same for Murray. Sure he works hard, but it's clear to anyone who's watched enough tennis that he doesn't have the same natural ability that others players do, like Roger (duh), Djokovic, Tsonga, Nalbandian. Murray is a good example for someone who works hard to get where he is, and to that extent, credit is given where it's due.

Everything else, though? Shit, I hope Nadal comes back soon and grabs back his #2 ranking. Roger is #1 forever, sorry, but Nadal can be #2. Yep.

Juan Martin Del Potro

My dear Potty has seriously improved tremendously over the course of the year. I could hardly believe he was the same player that got bagelled - TWICE - by Roger in the QF of this year's Australian Open. He's definitely not that same guy anymore. Ever since he took Roger to five sets at the French Open, my respect for him has grown bit by bit.

Watching the match last night, I officially like him. I wish he'd stop looking half-dead in his matches, but his tennis, though not the most exciting thing ever, is pretty nice to watch. He takes risks and they pay off, and he's not afraid of the net. For someone so tall, he sure can scramble like the shorter guys. And he's so young. Maybe he really will reach #1 first before Murray and Djokovic do.

Also, this part of his presser sums up his attitude:

Q. How close to the top three or four players do you think you are? Do you think you're on the same level with them right now or not?

JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: No, I don't think so. I need to work hard to be like them. I can play against them, but I need to improve my game a lot if I want to be top four or top two or top one for many years.

I like humility in a player who's clearly on his way to the top. He seems like a nice guy. I like him. Yay.

B. My Game D:

Last night, before my mom turned off the freaking Internet, I had three waves of attack coming for my second city. I thought I was screwed, but I still asked Tong to help me check up on it an hour later (after the attackers reached my city and did their thing).

He was all, "They got raped! You won!"

I was all, "Yay!"

This morning I woke up and checked on my cities, and when I saw like 13 fucking reports, I was all, "OMG what's going on?"

Some asshole - two assholes - attacked my poor second city three times each after the first guy lost. This time, I got raped, and pretty badly too.

And the worst part? I was actually quite sad! Fuck, it's just a computer game, but I was still quite sad! And it was just my second city which I don't spend much time on; if it'd been my first city, I'd be so sad that I'd just quit the damn game.

Need to remind self that it's Just A Game. And the asshole that attacked my second one scouted my first. Hope he's scared by the 1600+ archer's towers I have. And I'm building a few hundred of those every day.

Er yeah. That's lovely.

I haven't done my Conveyancing assignment. Time to write rubbish now. Bleah.

before sunrise // before sunset

Previously:
- - Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017
I'm moving. - Sunday, Jul. 11, 2010
In all honesty - Tuesday, Jul. 06, 2010
What I want for my birthday... - Sunday, Jul. 04, 2010
On Roger's behalf. - Friday, Jul. 02, 2010