Andy man to beat at Open

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

Ahead of Monday’s start to the season’s final Grand Slam in New York, the 29-year-old Scot 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.

“I think I’m playing my best tennis just now ... the last four, five months are not even close to anything else I had done before,” said Murray, who is chasing a fourth career major.

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.

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. However, Djokovic’s form in 2016 remains impressive with a win-loss record of 51-5 and seven titles; Murray is 50-7 with four trophies. – AFP