Opinion
TennisShame on Novak Djokovic for his injury antics - and shame on Andy Murray for falling for it
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Published 05/05/2015 at 14:51 GMT
Novak Djokovic seemed to be in incredible pain at various points during the Australian Open final. First he fell awkwardly chasing an Andy Murray passing shot, landing with weight on his thumb and requiring a medical time-out in the first set.
Eurosport
Image credit: Eurosport
The attention from the trainer came just after Murray broke the Djokovic serve for the first time, bringing the score to 5-4 in the Serb’s favour. The magic spray did wonders as Djokovic held on to take the first set in a tie-break.
Then his legs seemed weak as Murray took a 2-0 lead in the second. Djokovic wobbled all over court, attempting to shake some life into his feet as if he were suffering from numbness or pins and needles. He then roared back to win four consecutive games and take a 4-2 lead – but then the match was interrupted by external forces, protesters infiltrating the court, which gave Murray time to regroup and take his own set on a tie-break.
When Murray began the third set brightly, again breaking early for a 2-0 advantage, Djokovic’s stumbling re-emerged – to the extent that Eurosport expert Mats Wilander wondered if he could possibly be suffering from cramp.
Murray had no such theories. He thought he knew very well what was going on – Djokovic was tormenting him with exaggerated distress.
"It was clear that he was cramping, and I let that distract me a little bit. That's what I'm most disappointed about." -Andy Murray — Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) February 1, 2015
When Tomas Berdych complained about the balls used in the semi-final, Murray was wise to it, grumbling to himself, “He always does this.” So when Murray thought he’d identified Djokovic wheeling out some possible gamesmanship ploys, why could he not ignore it in the same way?
Murray after Berdych asked for new balls: "He always does this," Murray after Djokovic's episode: "He does it all the time."— Tumaini (@tumcarayol) February 1, 2015
Elite sport is always going to be prone to the occasional demonstration of mean-spirited simulation. Some would argue that professional athletes should do whatever they can to win at all costs, whether that’s diving to con a penalty out of a referee, refusing to ‘walk’ from the crease when the umpire hasn’t spotted the contact between bat and ball, or acting as if you’re more injured than you are to affect your opponent’s tactics.
Others might say that there is a moral responsibility on professional athletes to play their sport in the best spirit possible – which means with honesty and respect.
Go Andy! What a match tho! Amazing tennis and great acting skills, looking forward to what the next sets are going to bring— Arina Rodionova (@arinarodionova) February 1, 2015
Either way, both sides would surely agree that in the absence of a perfect world featuring perfect athletes, players should always be prepared for less-than-ideal behaviour from their opponents.
Murray evidently expected Djokovic to show a lack of mobility at some point – but he reacted to it with rage, which affected his game, and lost him the match.
Murray's blown it and is losing the crowd. Djokovic has reeled him in, here — Troy Townsend (@Towno10) February 1, 2015
Though Murray no longer concedes a physical edge to Djokovic, there’s still a psychological disadvantage there. The Brit said before the match that he was mentally prepared for the match, which he expected to be a tough battle, perhaps indicating that he was anticipating some Djokovic taunts.
One suspects that Murray knew he’d been out-manoeuvred, hence his obvious rage at the conclusion – some directed at his opponent (witness the grim-faced response to Djokovic’s attempt at levity and good wishes for the forthcoming wedding) but, one would imagine, a lot of it at himself.
It’s weird to hear people talk about Murray as though he fell on his face tonight. He didn’t. He just freaked out when Novak did.— Courtney Nguyen (@FortyDeuceTwits) February 1, 2015
It’s difficult to know how one would advise Murray to cope with Djokovic in this way. Tennis-wise, they’re both brilliant. And of course Murray’s slam wins have both been against his contemporary and tormentor, showing that he can indeed beat him on the big occasion. Amelie Mauresmo is thought to be a calming influence on Murray, tempering that temper; it’s her job now to encourage him to get rid of this blind spot when it comes to Djokovic.
And while Mauresmo mulls over why Murray can’t get over this mental block with Djokovic, it’s worth turning our attention to the other man’s coach, Boris Becker. Perhaps he’d like to think about whether his man really needs all those tricks and trips to triumph, or whether a win achieved with gamesmanship tastes a little sour.
Carrie Dunn
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