Madrid Masters

Final result:

A MURRAY (GB) bt G SIMON (Fra)

6-4 7-6 (8-6)

606: DEBATE Your thoughts on the action

By Piers Newbery

1654: "Andy wins his second Masters with a Murraycoaster of a tie-break. What a way to win!"
From Cogen on 606

1652: "Well done Andy ATP Madrid Masters Champion! And well done Simon for playing well all week and losing with good grace."
From iainidc on 606

Second set:

Murray 7-6 (8-6) Simon
Murray spoons a forehand long on the second point to go a mini-break down, but Simon plays a tired backhand for 2-2 and Murray follows up with a fizzing winner down the line. The Scot is then made to pay for a poor drop shot but plays a beauty on the next point for 4-3. Drop shot number three is then chased down successfully by Simon and it might be time for Murray to give them a rest for today.

Simon lashes a backhand winner and from nowhere he has two set points, so what does Murray do? That's right, it's drop shot time again. Simon just fails to make it and Murray takes charge on the second set point, forcing an error to level at 6-6. A huge return winner turns things around and Murray has match point.... another long rally and Simon puts a volley inches wide, so Murray seals back-to-back Masters Series titles. Not the greatest performance but a fabulous achievement all the same.

Murray 6-6 Simon
Murray lifts a delightful backhand lob over Simon for 30-0 and despite an under-par display and tired opponent, he has held serve impressively all day. Tie-break time.

Murray 5-6 Simon
Murray smacks himself in the head with his racquet in frustration after netting a backhand for 15-15, and I know how he feels. It's a shame that such a brilliant week of tennis is ending with such a damp squib, but it's all about the result now. At 30-30, Murray pulls a forehand wide under no real pressure and he does the same on the following point.

Murray 5-5 Simon
Murray continues to serve well, which is a positive note in a match largely bereft of highlights. Simon comes up with a fine running backhand cross-court winner but he's 40-0 down at the time, and Murray seals it with an ace on the next point anyway.

Murray 4-5 Simon
A well-timed backhand return winner gets Murray to 30-30 but yet again he follows it up with a backhand error. The Briton gets to deuce with a successful sortie to the net but Simon holds.

Murray 4-4 Simon
Murray gives himself a little "C'mon!" when he gets to 30-15, and again after a killer drop shot under a bit of pressure at 30-30. Murray holds.

1618: "It's a pity that Simon is feeling the exertions of yesterday's game, but what is being tested here is the ability to win a tournament not just a single game."
From theosportfan on 606

Murray 3-4 Simon
Simon arrows a cross-court backhand pass at 15-15 that embarrasses Murray at the net and the Scot then makes forehand error number 467 of the day. Simon serves it out and it's becoming something of a contest, albeit not a very high-quality one.

Murray 3-3 Simon
Murray is under pressure for the first time today at 15-30 and being forced back in a lengthy rally. The Brit responds magnificently, firing a backhand winner down the line past the on-rushing Simon and then smacking an ace. Vamos!

1611: "Reading live text with malt loaf & lashings of marg, come on andy!"
From allan in cromer via text on 81111

Malt loaf and high-quality tennis - it's like being back in Commentary Box Three at Wimbledon. What I wouldn't do for a bit of that right now.

1610: "Great stuff from muzza! I predict a win in the aussie open '09. Although i also put 20 quid on spurs to win the prem."
From Scott, Folkestone, via text on 81111

Murray 2-3 Simon
Murray makes an excellent scrambling return that drops just inside the baseline and produces a Simon error for 30-30, but Simon comes through.

Murray 2-2 Simon
That's a bit more like it - Murray opens his shoulders a bit and fires successive blistering backhands to get to 40-0, taking the game with a decent sliced serve.

1604: "Murray has played five hours less tennis than Simon this week and that must be a telling factor."
Times correspondent Neil Harman on 5 Live Sports Extra

Murray 1-2 Simon
A beautiful forehand return down the line from Murray is a rare glimpse of real quality in a pretty poor match, and it gets him to 40-30 down on the Frenchman's serve. Murray then goes wide with an attempted lob but Simon has done enough running and heads to the chair looking fairly desperate.

1556: "Instead of watching andy, i am on a bus home from a geology trip to st. andrews. Therefore, Geology does not rock."
From Gordon, Dunblane, via text on 81111

Murray 1-1 Simon
Murray holds to 30, despite one flashing winner from Simon. That looks about the best the Frenchman can manage today - the odd crunching winner and numerous errors.

Murray 0-1 Simon
Murray gets a sniff of an early break at 30-30 but Simon makes a bold move to the net and deserves a bit of luck as his volley clips the net on the way to being a winner. Still, Murray pegs him back to deuce and Simon then produces the wildest of forehands, prompting a collective groan from the Madrilenos. Murray then makes a totally unforced error on break point and the chance goes begging.

First set:

Murray 6-4 Simon
Murray clearly hears the advice from the 5 Live commentary box and opens up with two thumping aces, and a big winner down the 'T' for 40-15 and two set points. Ace number three and he's halfway there. "Three aces when you're serving for the set - that was an emphatic end to the first set," says Neil Harman.

Murray 5-4 Simon
Simon holds to 15 to keep the set alive. "It's vital that Murray holds serve here and does not give Simon a chance," says Neil Harman on 5 Live Sports Extra.

Murray 5-3 Simon
Simon goes for too much with a couple of returns and he just can't put any pressure on Murray, despite getting to 30 on the Scot's serve for the first time today.

Murray 4-3 Simon
Simon almost falls over after sticking a forehand into the net at 15-15, but he makes a good one down the line for 30-30. Simon just about hangs on when Murray sprays a backhand return wide.

Murray 4-2 Simon
Murray forges ahead in another service game and a lone thumping forehand return from Simon is not enough to threaten the Briton. Murray takes the game with a superb backhand on the defensive, followed by a smash. Simon needs a lie down, surely.

1531: "That was good play from Murray but even on the third break point he was a little passive. He mustn't be too tentative, he wants to be a little more aggressive."
Times correspondent Neil Harman on 5 Live Sports Extra

Murray 3-2 Simon
They might be dangerous words but Simon looks tired already. I'll regret saying that in three hours' time when we're in a final set tie-break. An unforced error sees the Frenchman slip to 0-40, at which point Murray reverts to his sometime game plan of gentle rallying, waiting for an error. Simon make him pay with two winners after long exchanges but Murray converts the third, taking the initiative with a fine forehand lob and forcing an error.

Murray 2-2 Simon
Murray holds to 15 again and has dropped just two points on serve. He dictates a lengthy rally at 30-15 from inside the baseline and looks to be finding his rhythm. "Vamos Rafa!" shouts one forlorn fan, which prompts a smile from Simon.

1521: The first excitement of the day comes with some world-class whistling and booing as a collection of affluent spectators arrive late, all jewellery and embarrassment. Murray looks unimpressed.

Murray 1-2 Simon
Very scrappy stuff from both men, with errors aplenty. Simon earns the first ripple of applause as he takes the game with a sharp forehand volley.

1517: "Simon must be exhausted after his recent exploits. Murray must dictate the rallies and make the Frenchman work for every point.Come on Andy!"
From Adam in York via text on 81111

Murray 1-1 Simon
Yes, he can. Murray holds to love in the blink of an eye and it's a pretty low key start.

Murray 0-1 Simon
A couple of loose Murray returns hand Simon a comfortable opening hold to 15. The Murray return was superb against Federer yesterday, as was his serving. Can he repeat that form?

1512: The two men are knocking up and 'Andy Mooray' has been introduced to the crowd, among whom sits his mother Judy, who must be getting used to this by now. For my money, the Scot will win this in straight sets. Fortunately, I only have about six quid on me.

1509: "Murray in straight sets you reckon? I'm thinking it'll be a tense and scrappy affair. C'mon Andy! It'll improve his chances at SPOTY too!"
FromPhil at work via text on 81111

1506: Here comes Murray into the arena and it's half-full at best, but we are assured that the place will be packed soon enough. The model/ballgirls are there though, so that's the main thing.

1502: "It's not the final they were expecting with Federer and Nadal in the semis but the crowd is filling up and there should be around 9,000 people here."
Jonathan Overend on 5 Live Sports Extra

1500: "We all know Murray has a world class return game, the stats tell you that even if your eyes won't. The problem has been his serve, which creates undue pressure on his service games."
From federalexpress on 606

1455: It's the final all of Madrid was waiting for - Andy Murray against Gilles Simon! Well, maybe not, but it will do very nicely for us as Murray has a great chance to win back-to-back Masters Series titles, which would be some achievement.

The British number one has looked superb all week, most notably in beating Roger Federer in three sets on Saturday. Simon has had an altogether more testing time, saving match points against three of his opponents, but he pulled off the remarkable feat of outlasting Rafael Nadal on hume turf on Saturday and will become the highest-ranked Frenchman on Monday.

Murray and Simon have met twice before, with Simon winning on Rome's clay last year and Murray enjoying a comfortable win on the same surface in Hamburg in May.