‘Best yet’ Murray poised to pounce

New york, August 28 

Andy Murray admits he’s playing his best ever tennis as he looks to capitalise on the growing frailties of his rivals and capture a second US Open title.

Ahead of tomorrow’s start to the season’s final Grand Slam, the 29-year-old is the sport’s man of the moment.

Since losing the French Open final to Novak Djokovic in June, Murray has won Queen’s Club, a second Wimbledon title and successfully defended his Olympic crown in Rio. His career-best 22-match win streak came to a halt at the hands of Marin Cilic in the Cincinnati final last weekend when he simply ran out of gas. 

But that hasn’t dented his confidence that he can claim a second US Open, four years after his breakthrough in New York saw him become the first British man in 76 years to win a Grand Slam title. At 29, three-time Major winner Murray admits he is taking positives from being in the twilight of his career.

Murray has played in all of the first three finals of the Majors in 2016, losing to world No. 1 Djokovic in Melbourne and Paris before defeating Milos Raonic in straight sets in the Wimbledon final. The only worry for Murray is his relatively mediocre recent record in New York — runs to the quarterfinals in 2013 and 2014 were followed by a fourth-round exit to Kevin Anderson 12 months ago.

Murray starts his campaign against fiery Lukas Rosol. The last time they met in Munich in 2015, the Scot described the Czech as the most-hated man in the sport.

Djokovic burden

Murray’s consistency on the tour in recent weeks is in stark contrast to the rollercoaster fortunes of Djokovic, the defending champion in New York. After he won a maiden French Open to complete the career Grand Slam, all talk was of the Serb going on to defend his Wimbledon and US Open titles and clinch a calendar Grand Slam. That’s a feat so rare that only two men have ever achieved it with Rod Laver the most recent in 1969. The expectations proved too heavy a burden when the 12-time Major winner was dumped out of Wimbledon in the third round for his earliest loss at a Major in seven years.

“I am not 100 percent. Hopefully on Monday, when it all starts, I will be there,” said Djokovic. “The wrist has not been ideal for three weeks.” — AFP