First thing note – this dude is BIG! The guy looks like he is serving out of a tree!
The Murraycoaster started early for the fans with Murray broken straight away.
The gentlemen obliged by showing us actually how much closer
they are to the womens’ game/tour with Murray breaking straight back.
There was an early sense of pace from Murray and some backhand slice action that has been drawing some attention since his coaching partnership with Lendl started.
It was clear even this early on that Karlovic’s backhand was
a little weak and at last someone held their serve!
The games then settled into a bit of a routine (I cannot
really use the word rhythm).
Thundering serves from both, Muzz delivered a 130 pmh serve
only for Karlovic to up the speed to 133-135 mph.
You had to favour Murray in rallies when he actually got them going, and it was clear that if anything was going to break down, it would be Karlovic’s backhand.
That is not to say that Karlovic isn’t handy round the net (or a cobweb, as he must see it from all the way up there).
Andy seemed to be rooted to the back of the court, as if it
was inconceivable that the big guy could (a) get down there
(b) have a more delicate touch.
Then again – a thundering serve almost took out Pippa
Middleton as she was sat in the Royal Box!
After the initial scare in the first game – there was no
real “Murraycoaster” on the horizon… yet.
After a smattering of faults, Karlovic started to look a little heavy footed (more on his feet later) and Murray took the first set 7-5.
Second set and Karlovic’s backhand draws the same comment
from the guy sat next to me – his exact word: “Lame”
You just got a sense that despite everything going with serve, Andy just seemed a little passive although later towards the business end of the set he looked a little quicker on his feet.
The inevitable tiebreak was pretty edgy stuff – going to Karlovic.
I had to escape soon for some grub as the last time I had
eaten was at 9am before Journo School – and we were now around 16:30!
But not before I had to endure successful and failed Murray dropshots, more Karlovic net work and worryingly Andy clutching his back.
To my surprise – by the time we made it down to Food Court he had actually taken the third set.
Pint and noodles despatched as quickly as I could, I ran
back.
Note to self. That’s
a LOT of stairs. You are not young. You just drank a pint, and scoffed a box of
noodles. Do NOT run up the stairs.
By the time I got back to my seat it was clear that
foot-fault-gate was well underway.
I don’t honestly recall any foot faults in the first two
sets and let’s face it, Karlovic’s foot crosses two continents as it is, but he
made a big show of moving his foot back and forth over the line like the hokey
cokey to prove his point.
Into another tiebreak, and Murray was geeing himself up a lot more than we’d seen
The combination of another footfault, a double-fault and that lame backhand handed the fourth set and the match to Murray.
I have to be honest – I was relieved. I think if it had gone to a fifth… well…I
would say we would have had an upset…
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