| 04 July 2010
"Oh, Come on!” I replied. “I bet twice a year, at most, once on the Grand National (horse racing), and maybe once on the tennis," I said, in self-defense.
"Look, fourteen-to-one. Fourteen-to-one on any other player apart from Federer, Nadal and Murray." I said with a little persuasion, "That’s gotta be worth a bet. My gut tells me so." I continued attempting to back up my decision with some intuition. Something I felt that my girlfriend would understand.
"The likes of Berdych or Soderling, or maybe even Andy Roddick are gonna upset the seedings this year, I can feel it." I carried on, "Seeing Berdych destroy Murray in the third round of the French (Open), and then reaching the semis, I just fancy his chances."
"Anyway," I continued, backing my case further like an unconvincing lawyer, "you bet on the stock market, so what’s the difference with me betting on the tennis?" I said, realising the weakness of my argument as soon as I clocked what I was implying,"Well that’s hardly the same thing."
She replied, "I get dividends and I can pull out whenever I like. And there's always options, which means I can gain even when the market is falling," she said, with conviction.
"Well I'm going to have a bet anyway," I said, with a stubborn tone, realising that any counter argument was futile.
"Well it’s your money," she said with a slightly smug tone. And our mini-episode was over. I felt thoroughly defeated, in straight sets.
Unfortunately when it came to placing my bet, I felt another defeat. After three credit card rejections on-line and some rather bad language I decided I was getting a sign that it wasn't meant to be, and maybe (dread of dreads) that my girlfriend was right. Gut instinct was just an excuse for my little whim where I was going to waste 100 Euros.
But then I thought, right I'll back it with a hundred on Nadal as well, for ‘security.' His odds were 3-to-1, so I’d be in for a healthy payback as long as Federer or Murray, (whom my gut wasn’t responding to), didn’t win. Alas on the fourth try, my card still didn't work, so I reluctantly accepted defeat once more.
So here I sit, two weeks later, on the eve of the Wimbledon 2010 tennis final, facing my third (or is it fourth) successive defeat as Rafael Nadal is to face Thomas Berdych in the Final on Sunday. Life can be so cruel, as Murray can testify after yesterday’s semi-final:
Our great British hope, Andy Murray, faced Rafael Nadal in his second consecutive Wimbledon semi-final. Unfortunately for Murray he has found Nadal in the form of his life, with the Midas touch to boot.
In the first two sets Nadal displayed a standard of tennis that Murray could do nothing about. Nadal took the first set 6-4, though performances from both players were world-class throughout. Murray continued to elevate his standard and his second set performance was of an even higher standard than his first. He outstripped Nadal in virtually every statistical department; more winners, less unforced errors, a higher first serve percentage, more aces and so on. Neither player was able to break serve. At six games all, the unpredictable tie break ensued. Alas, for Murray luck seemed to favour the world number one as a net cord at 6-6 gave Nadal set point. Nadal apologised with a customary hand gesture, and duly went on to smash him on the next point, thanks for the apology! Murray couldn't hide his disappointment and hurled his racquet into the dirt with the force he delivers his blistering 130mph plus first serve. Fortunately the racket landed harmlessly on the baseline about 10 feet away and no-one was hurt, only his pride.
All credit to him, Murray again came out fighting and took an early break in the third set to take a 2-0 advantage and raced to a 4-2 lead. There it seemed he completely ran out of ideas and possibly energy, no doubt daunted by the task that was ahead of him. Errors started to creep back in as the fatigue was clear for all to see. Nadal broke back and didn't drop another game to take the set 6-4. Nadal won 6-4 7-6(6).
It will be of little consolation for Andy that he did in fact win more points than Nadal in the whole match. However, as well as Murray played, he didn’t provide the viewer with the belief that he could really beat Nadal at the key moments, when it matters most. With 72 years without a Wimbledon finalist, let alone a champion, it seems that British tennis is still as far away as ever.
In the other Semi-Final the Czech Thomas Berdych convincingly beat the Serbian Novak Djokovic in straight sets 6-3 7-6(9) 6-3. After out-powering Djokovic in the first set, Berdych had a minor wobble in the second set tie-break where he failed to take any of his four consecutive set points, but was strong enough to put it behind him and close the set 11-9.
Djokovic looked empty and thoroughly beaten at the beginning of the third set, as he continued to struggle with the unrelenting pace of the 6ft 5inch Czech. Berdych took the final set from a despondent Djokovic 6-3.
Berdych puts his most recent successes down to his victory over Federer earlier this year in the Miami masters series, when he came back from match point down to take the match. He said it was a turning point for him and it certainly seems his results since have backed that notion. His game has, for some time, shown that it has all the technical and tactical components of a top-5 player. He certainly hits the ball harder and more precisely than just about anyone on tour, even harder than the brutal Robin Soderling.
It seems Berdych’s belief and persistence have been the only thing lacking, but surely no longer. With the tools in his game and his results that have followed, Berdych must feel that ‘the sky’s the limit.' In his post match interview Berdych said he "fears no-one." Well he hasn’t faced Nadal in a Grand-Slam final yet, so let’s see!
What has become clearer, at least to me, is that persistence and belief really are key. And that gut instinct often has a value much stronger than most of us may realise. I, for one, will be making sure that the next time my gut talks to me, I listen more intently. As for the final on Sunday I’m rooting for a moral victory. Come on Berdych!
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