Jamie can cap it all off in the final
BETHANIE MattekSands took her hat off to Jamie Murray and now wants him to join her in wearing a wacky cap in their US Open mixed doubles final.
The eccentric American is best known for her outrageous attire that has ranged from her Lady Gagastyle warm-up jacket at Wimbledon in 2010 to her leopard-print outfit at the US Open.
Mattek-Sands even adopted a football theme at SW19 while the World Cup was on in 2006 and often wears knee-high socks as well as dying her hair pink, green and purple. She usually gets her doubles playing partner to agree to an outlandish outfit if they reach the final, with most happy to go along with it in the knowledge they are unlikely to make it.
On this occasion, she forgot to get Murray to sign up and they have made the final but she is not giving up ahead of tomorrow’s clash on Arthur Ashe Stadium with Croatian Nikola Mektic and Polish star Alicja Rosolska.
In the past, MattekSands has worn a straw hat but at Flushing Meadows this year she has favoured floral headgear... and just happens to have a spare. And if Murray does not fancy that then she will try to negotiate the long socks. Mattek-Sands said: “The hat is a snapback. I was eating in a restaurant in Phoenix and I saw a guy wearing it. I just went up and asked him where he got it and I ordered it that day.
“There’s no big logo on it so I can wear it during the match. Jamie could rock the hat and I’ve got some extra ones.” Murray, left, Britain’s last survivor again after winning the mixed doubles with Martina Hingis last year, said with a laugh: “We’ll see about the socks...” Five-time doubles Grand Slam champion Murray bounced back from losing his men’s quarter-final tie to book his place in the mixed final four hours later.
The former world No1 doubles player’s pairing with MattekSands has worked out well. “We’ve played a lot of good stuff and it has been a lot of fun,” he said.
“She’s a great player and she’s fearless. She puts herself out there. She’s not scared of the ball and she moves so well up at the net.”
Mattek-Sands said: “I feel like I’m very energetic and Jamie is very calming. He takes his time but I think our games really match up well. Obviously our strength is at the net – we set each other up well.”