Andy Murray doesn't have to match John Isner's serve to beat him, says Mark Petchey
Friday 16 October 2015 09:00, UK
Andy Murray could struggle against big servers in Shanghai but should still have enough to beat John Isner, says Mark Petchey.
The British No 1 got his Shanghai Rolex Masters campaign off to a winning start on Wednesday against Steve Johnson to book a third-round tie against Isner.
Murray has a 4-0 winning record against Isner largely due to his unique ability to send the American's massive serves back down the court - but Petchey has warned that he will still endure a difficult match.
"John, Ivo Karlovic, Kevin Anderson - any of these guys that serve big - are uncomfortable to go out and play against, no matter how well you return," Petchey told Sky Sports.
"If you hit your spots in conditions like this, even with Andy's ability to see the ball early, it isn't easy.
Any of these guys that serve big - are uncomfortable to go out and play against, no matter how well you return.
"But at the same time, it's a match where in his own mind he knows 'if I get that first ball back the odds switch dramatically back to my favour, to 70-30, to win that point'.
"So that's why he'll have a good, solid mind-set going into it."
With the ball at the other end of the court, Petchey has faith that Murray can serve well enough to banish the notion that it is his weakest attribute.
While the Dunblane man will never match Isner's service power, he has developed a functional style that compliments the rest of the game.
"The serve has always been something he has to think about more," the Sky Sports expert said.
"I've always been a big believer that if he hits above 55 percent, and going for it, that's great numbers for him.
"If he's below that it's just a bad serving day and everybody has those. Roger Federer has those, Novak Djokovic has those, players in the past have those.
"If Andy goes after his serve and has over 55 percent, he's going to win probably in excess of 85 percent of the points in most matches.
"You've got to be happy with that."
Watch the Shanghai Rolex Masters resume on Thursday from 6.30am on Sky Sports 3 HD.
