By RJ Mitchell
CHRISTIAN MURPHY has revealed that a tactical smash and grab was the key to his victory at the WPT Next Murcia.
Alongside partner Javi Navarro, the GB No.1 came through five tough rounds dropping only one set before the duo prevailed in a tight final over the Spanish pairing of Puerto and Vazquez.
It was a victory that helped dull the pain of failing to make the qualification draw for the Greenweez Paris Premier Padel Major at Roland Garros.
Yet as he savoured his success at the Villaescusa Sport, San Javier, Murphy provided a fascinating insight into the strategy that brought success in the Spanish sun.
He said: “If you compare the Next Murcia to the set-up in tennis, in terms of levels it is like winning an ATP 250 or perhaps a Futures Tournament and is a category less than the main ATP Tour. So the Next Murcia is a step down from the main WPT Tour but that didn’t make it any easier to win, believe me!
“We had five matches to play to win the tournament and a big challenge for us was how fast the courts were at the Villaescusa Sport. Match by match we lifted our level and in the final we played a very solid match to win.
“We beat Puerto and Vazquez 6-4, 6-4 in the final and it was a tight match because their level is very similar to ours and they are around the same age as me and Javi.
“Also we knew that if we were to win we probably would have to beat them and so it proved and that gave us an extra satisfaction.
“Puerto and Vazquez both have really good smashes and if you play them on a fast court this is a big problem. We had to get our tactics exactly right to try and stop them dominating us with that shot and the match hinged on that.
“On a fast court when you are playing strong smashers the most important aspect is that you take out that shot as quickly as possible and play a quick lob to get to the net as fast as you can and really take control of the net position.
“Really this was vital as with quick courts if you don’t take out your opponent’s smash quickly then you have a real problem but we were very good at taking this away from them and I think that was what swung the match our way.
“So, like I say getting our tactics right was vital and really pleasing that we did our homework and it paid off.”
Murphy’s success in Murcia provided a welcome distraction from his failure to make the cut for the Greenweez Paris Premier Padel Major.
Yet although he is sanguine over missing out on a trip to the Bois de Boulogne, frustration still lingers for the GB No.1. He added: “Winning at Murcia went a big way to making up for not getting into the qualis at Roland Garros. That was very frustrating as they changed the rules in terms of the number of players who were allowed in. They lost 12 players from the qualis in Rome and for me that didn’t really make sense.
“Also if you make Paris qualis you see that in the first round you have 25 points and the other players who do not make it in don’t have the option to play and get no points – but in Rome you needed to win one match to get these points.
“In Paris you lose in the first round of qualis and you still have 25 points more and I think that is unfair as it makes it more difficult to qualify for the next Major, because these guys playing in Paris now have a minimum extra 25 points over us.
“I just don’t understand why they changed the rules in this respect. It is not fair on those players who didn’t make it in especially since they also cut the draw for qualis.
“So, winning in Murcia helped us not to think too much about Paris and the disappointment of not playing there, which was good.”
Murphy does not have much time to rest on his laurels as he prepares to play qualis for the Malaga Open. He added: “Now up next for me is the WPT of Malaga and we have qualis for that this weekend. Hopefully Javi and I can build on our win in Murcia and make it through to the main draw and see where that takes us.
“Our confidence is good and we know that we will face some tough matches in qualification, but we are ready for that challenge and look forward to it.”
Pictures courtesy of World Padel Tour
