| BACKGROUND |
| It is surely only a question of time before Andy Murray claims his first Gland Slam title. Along with the other members of the “Big Four” - Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic - the young Scot is very much a contender for the Australia Open, Wimbledon and US Open titles. Yet his lack of experience on clay, and a game that is more suited to faster surfaces, make him less of a potent force in Paris. Murray has only ever won two matches on the Roland Garros red earth, so his objective this year should be to fine-tune his clay-court game and aim for a semi-final spot. | Juan Ignacio Chela is not the great clay-court practitioner he once was. At 29, the Argentinean has experienced several setbacks, in particular a slipped disc, which have seen him fall to No205 in the world. In this his ninth appearance at Roland Garros, it looks unlikely that he will beat his 2004 performance, when he reached the quarter finals. |
| CURRENT FORM |
| A semi-finalist in Monte Carlo and quarter-finalist in Madrid, Andy Murray has shown undeniable progress on clay. He comes to Paris fairly fresh, but well aware that the clay challenge will be difficult to win, mainly due to his youth and his lack of playing time on the surface. | Juan Ignacio Chela is hardly full of confidence in the run-up to Roland Garros. He may have got through the qualifying rounds at his most recent tournaments, Madrid and Kitzbuhel, but both times he was knocked out in the first round of the main event. |
| STRENGTHS |
| The Scotsman is an unusual player. His strength is his return of serve, and he exploits his opponent’s weaknesses better than anyone else thanks to his counter-attacking play. He also varies his tactics and has a deft touch around the court. Murray has become a great competitor too, full of confidence and ambition. | In his glory days, when he reached No15 in August 2004, Chela was one of the best clay-court players on the circuit. His strengths were his powerful top-spin, stamina and uncanny ability to slide. He may have lost some of that stamina, but he is certainly not an easy opponent to see off… |
| TACTICS |
| Andy Murray has all the skills he needs to win. His physique will give him the upper hand should the match drag on. He serves better, runs faster, and hits the ball more powerfully. The main issue for Murray is to leave his natural dislike for clay at the gate and play his natural game. | Juan Ignacio Chela could pull off a surprise, provided he stays with the Scotsman early on and manages to instil a little self-doubt in his opponent’s mind. The Argentinian will also need to target his opponent’s forehand and be prepared to run, run and run some more. |
| HEAD-TO-HEAD |
| Even though they represent two different generations, Murray and Chela have already played each other four times. Murray has the better record with three wins to one. He also boasts three consecutive wins over his elder opponent. | Chela won their very first clash at the Australian Open in 2006 but Murray was just a youngster at the time. The Argentinean can comfort himself with the fact that none of their duels have taken place on his favourite surface, clay. |
Andy Murray
Juan Ignacio Chela
