[3] Andy Murray (GBR) vs [8] Tomas Berdych (CZE) H2H

That really didn’t need to happen (are you reading Mirka?)

Head games

Tomas Berdych hired Andy Murray’s former coach during the offseason.  I am not sure if that or something else was behind the intense exchange in Melbourne.  At any rate, things were at times quite ugly in Melbourne.  That led to Kim Sears wearing a “Parental Advisory Explicit Content” t-shirt from Axl Rose’s early 90s wardrobe.  Kim’s t-shirt did not keep Nole from holding the big trophy at the end of the tournament.  Some people revel in tennis as a blood sport.  I don’t mind seeing two players leave everything on the court a la Nadal vs. Coria in 2005.  In fact, I quite enjoy that.  I do not like gamesmanship and histrionics very much.  I know it is part of tennis, but I am hoping the players’ camps comport themselves in a sporting manner today.

This match is fairly straight forward to analyze.  Berdych tends to do best when playing first strike tennis.  He will attempt to dictate play behind a big serve or return or at an early stage of a point with a big ground stroke.  When Berdych is dictating he is quite hard to beat.  Murray tends to use his return, his foot speed, and his variety to breakdown an opponent.  Murray’s first serve is roughly on par with Berdych’s, but Murray’s second serve is something Berdych will try to attack.

In general, Murray has more game than Berdych, but Berdych can also hit through Murray (see Roland Garros 2010 or Cincy 2013).  Berdych owns a 6-5 head-to-head advantage, but Murray has won both of their Grand Slam encounters on hard courts. I think Berdych will be quite motivated given the events in Melbourne.  Still, I believe Murray has an edge given his comfort level in Miami and his recent win in Melbourne.

My Prediction: Andy Murray d. Tomas Berdych 6-4, 5-7, 6-3