Murray Making Moves

The U.S Open begins Monday at the tennis capital of America, Flushing, New York. Scotland’s Andy Murray is slated to appear in his fifth U.S Open, and is coming off his finest performance at the Grand Slam event in 2008. Last year, Murray was a Flushing finalist for the first time ever. He whipped through Rafael Nadal in the men’s semi-finals to play the pinnacle performer, world number one, Roger Federer. The Swiss swingman stuffed the Scot in straight sets.
Murray made headlines in Montreal at the Masters event against Juan Martin del Porto as a precursor to the big stage in New York. Cincinnati was also triumphant for Murray, where he made a methodically run to the semifinal round. After suffering a setback in the Wimbledon semis, Murray validated his number two ranking by defeating the 20 year old Argentinean 6-7 (4), 7-6 (3), 6-1 in a gritty final match. Murray wore his opponent out by constantly changing the direction of the ball and the length and placement of his shots. Murray moves well on the firm hard surface and mixes his slice into his arsenal of shots. The ball is able to get a good jump, making Murray an excellent hard court player with quickness, perfect balance and rhythm. The Rogers Cup win was the first by a British male and Murray’s fifth ATP Tour title this year. He is matched only by Nadal in that category. The first player to post 50 match wins this season, Murray is on pace and poised to potentially prosper at the U.S. Open.
In April, Scotland’s favorite son coasted through Miami, cruising to his third Masters 1000 title. The win over Novak Djokovic was the first title taken by a British in tournament history. Clearly, Murray is making his mark in every major tournament this season, and expects to mimic the moves at the Grand Slam events. The U.S Open is undoubtedly Andy’s best chance of winning a slam. Since he holds the number two ranking, he has the probability of only having to face Federer or Nadal once rather than having to get past the two mammoth monsters during the two week competition. Men’s tennis is stronger than ever but Murray has the tools to raise his game and achieve the highest level. It will be hugely tough to stop Federer from defending his 2008 title. But Murray has been building momentum all year and nothing would cap off the summer better than his first grand slam title in New York. Murray is physically at his peak and his fitness has been a priority throughout his successful season. The Scotsman added former Spanish tennis professional, Alex Corretja, to his support team. Corretja is best known for his epic five set match against Pete Sampras. Murray’s stellar summer campaign will wrap up next month as he will utilize his slice and to finish the year where he left off. In January, the Brit accomplished the unthinkable by winning back to back titles over Nadal and Federer. Now he joins the top stars at the only three ATP players to qualify for the prestigious Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. The event takes places in London during late November and features eight elite tennis players.
Murray’s crowning as the number two player on Monday snapped the four year period of domination of Federer and Nadal as the top two players in the world. The 22 year old tacked on a career-best performance at Roland Garros this year when he reached the quarter-finals. He became just the ninth British man to reach Wimbledon’s wonderful semifinals and shows no signs of withering. Andy arrives in New York anticipating a memorable grand slam event and is the feel-good favorite phenom. His accomplishments at the tennis center next week could hinge on his seeding. Seeding is usually a determining factor in a player’s success at any tournament, but should not be the main focus. Murray has the skills and the recipe to succeed no matter who he faces or when. His fitness level and hard court game make him a leading contender. The implications of not having to face Nadal and Federer are important. But don’t discount the player who set the benchmark on how to play tennis (Federer) and the gutsy comeback king of clay (Nadal). Murray’s smart enough not to discount anybody. That is why is still considered the modest underdog to bigger names. Even his namesake, Andy Roddick, is more endearing to fans and has higher expectations placed on him. Flying under the radar may be the best thing going for Murray. And the fact he is playing just as well as anybody under the radar is huge.

Parting points: Mark Sanchez will start for the Jets, the Rockies are on a roll, and Rick Pitino is still talking. Happy Hump Day!