We look back and pick out five key points from the Madrid Masters
Wednesday 13 May 2015 20:19, UK
Is Andy Murray the real thing on clay? Does marriage really work? Is this the end for Rafa? We look back at what has been an exciting week in Madrid and find out what we learned.
British No 1 Murray needed only 88 minutes to master Nadal 6-3 6-2 on clay for the first time as he became champion at the La Caja Magica less than a week after winning the Munich Open.
Murray, who has been free from the back pain that troubled him in previous seasons, extended his winning record to 9-0 since his marriage to long-term girlfriend Kim Sears.
And after a memorable six days of clay court tennis we look back at lessons we learned on the red stuff.
French fancy?
Murray became only the fourth player to beat Nadal in a clay final, joining Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Horacio Zeballos, and will head to Roland Garros at the end of the month with high hopes of a deep run at the French Open.
He won back-to-back clay titles in less than a week and if he decides to play in Rome this week, he could potentially head to Paris with a hat-trick of titles.
His odds have already tumbled so it's no surprise to see many experts backing the Scot to land his third Grand Slam title and his first on clay.
Tactical genius
Murray's emergence as a genuine force on the dirt follows years of struggles on the surface, when he was unable to cope with the demands that sliding around the court placed on his body.
He has put in a lot of hard work with coach Amelie Mauresmo and newbie Jonas Bjorkman to turn things around and now the future is bright for the Dunblane dynamo.
Murray got his tactics spot on against Nadal by stepping up the court to dominate the Spaniard's second serve as well as limit his famous forehand. He also used a mixture of aggression and court craft to nullify his opponent and dominate from the baseline.
Does marriage work?
Murray admitted his recent marriage to long-term girlfriend Kim Sears has helped his incredible start to the clay court season. Two-time major winner Murray is 9-0 since getting married last month.
The Scottish star even wrote "marriage works" on the on-court camera after thrashing nine-time French Open champion Nadal.
Murray has also taken to wearing his wedding ring on the laces of his shoes during matches although he was quick to put it back on his finger after sealing victory over Nadal.
"I think people don't always appreciate that sports people have another part of our lives that is very important to our performance," said Murray.
"If you're happy away from the court and you're private and personal life is good that will help everything.
"So that obviously for me is very good right now. That helps performance, but you still need to put in the hard work as well, which I did in Barcelona and Munich before here and I've been rewarded for that."
The end of Rafa on clay?
Sunday's defeat means Nadal will drop to seventh in the latest world rankings, the first time he has been out of the top five in 10 years.
The 14-time Grand Slam champion is also defending 600 ranking points in Rome having made last year's final.
It was Nadal's fourth loss on clay this year, raising questions about his ability to win a 10th French Open title this year. Still, his play this week was an improvement compared to the Barcelona Open last month, when he lost to Fabio Fognini in the third round.
Murray insists it would be a mistake to write off Nadal as a clay court force and expects the Spaniard to still be favourite for a 10th French Open.
"On that court (in Paris) he has only ever lost one match, so when the French Open comes round he'll be one of the favourites. It is maybe closer than it's been in previous years, but I wouldn't write him off," he said.
Nadal, plagued by injury and illness at the end of last season, is still searching for his first title on the European clay in 2015.
What about Djokovic and Federer?
World No 1 Novak Djokovic decided to miss the event to rest after winning a hat-trick of Masters titles in what has been a phenomenal start to the season by the Serb. He is 30-2 and is now ready and focused on lifting a fourth Rome Masters title. He has played near flawless tennis and will be raring to go in The Eternal city.
Roger Federer, who took over from the Serb as top seed in Madrid, lost to Australian Nick Kyrgios in the second round, just days after winning the inaugural Istanbul Open.
The 33-year-old Swiss great has shown glimpses of his best form this year and an early loss to Kyrgios won't dampen his spirits this week where he will be seeking the elusive Rome title for the first time, having finished runner-up three times previously.
Don't miss all the action from the Rome Masters live on Sky Sports 3 from 10am all this week.
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