Brave Murray 5/2 to win Grand Slam with Coral

Tagged under: Tennis

Andy Murray pushed Novak Djokovic to the limit before losing out in the Australian Open semi final and is now 5/2 to win his first Grand Slam in 2012 with Coral. Online bookmakers give free bets to new customers which can be used for to bet on ATP Tour tennis and the Grand Slams.

BRAVE MURRAY 5/2 TO WIN GRAND SLAM IN 2012

Andy Murray lost to world number one Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open semi finals but will take pride from what was probably his finest effort in pursuit of his first Grand Slam. The Scot ran the world’s best tennis player close before losing a five set thriller 6-3, 3-6, 6-7, 6-1, 7-5 in a match that swung back and forth in dramatic fashion.

Murray was looking more composed than ever before under the watchful gaze of super-cool coach, Ivan Lendl and had his opponent on the ropes more than once during the match. A bemused and weary looking Djokovic sparked himself back to life after going a set down in the third and blasted through the fourth set in 25 minutes to level the match. After an early break in the decider, it looked like Djokovic would cruise through the final set, but Murray fought back from 2-5 to break the Serb and the pair slugged it out with some exceptional shot-making and no end of guts and determination from both players. In the end, it was Djokovic who managed the deciding service break in the twelfth game to fall to the court joyous and exhausted in victory.

Murray lost to Djokovic in three sets at last year’s Australian Open final and on the evidence of his performance on Friday is a lot nearer to breaking the Djokovic/Nadal/Federer triumvirate that has dominated men’s tennis in the last few years. The Scot certainly believes so, saying after his semi final match: "I think that gap, I feel tonight I closed it."

"My job over the next two or three months is to surpass him [Djokovic] and the guys in front of me. Everybody matures at different ages and different rates. I feel now like I'm ready mentally [to challenge the top three]," said the 24-year-old.

Murray went on to add: "In comparison to how I played last year, it was much, much better. Tonight's match was important for many reasons. Obviously I wanted to win first and foremost, but after last year, the year that Novak had, I think there's a very fine line between being number one in the world and being three or four."

Djokovic will meet Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open final on Sunday and Spain's 10-time Grand Slam champion said of Murray: "He can be number one at the end of the season, when you are able to play five grand slams in a row playing semi-finals or finals, it's only a mental thing."

The last time Murray failed to reach a Grand Slam semi final was at the US Open in 2010 but by the time it comes around in 2012, the Scot is hoping to have overtaken Sunday’s finalists in the world rankings.

Online bookmaker, Coral is offering 5/2 for Andy Murray to win a Grand Slam in 2012 and his next opportunity will be at Roland Garros for the French Open in May.  

• Share this:

• Share