Why draw it out Andy?
Late call-off baffles Nadal as Mac questions rules
JOHN McENROE reckons US Open organisers have got it all wrong after Rafa Nadal queried Andy Murray’s 11th-hour withdrawal. World No.1 Nadal admits he was surprised the Scot left it so late before deciding he couldn’t compete at Flushing Meadows. The French Open winner, who has battled back from a long-term knee injury, has sympathy for Murray’s plight as he contemplates hip surgery that threatens to compromise his career. But he was left puzzled when Murray withdrew last Saturday, 24 hours after the draw had pitched him with a first-round tie against American Tennys Sandgren. Murray’s withdrawal after the draw was made kept Nadal and Roger Federer, ranked No.3 here, in the top half of the group. If Murray had withdrawn sooner, Federer would have moved into the bottom half of the draw and been put on course for a final showdown with Nadal. Now they can only meet in the semis – surprisingly it would be the first time they’ve faced each other in the US Open. TV analyst McEnroe said: “I don’t know exactly what the rules are but when Murray pulled out they should have put Roger Federer on the bottom half of the draw. “For Federer to win three majors in one year would be an unbelievable achievement, something I haven’t seen in the 40 years I’ve been around professional tennis.” Nadal swept into the second round in New York with a straightforward 7-6(8) 6-2 6-2 win against Serbia’s world No.85 Dusan Lajovic. But it was the withdrawal of Murray that was still perplexing him as he bids to add to his success in the French Open earlier this year. Nadal said: “I saw Andy when I arrived here and said hi. I always thought he was going to be playing if he was here practising, no? It was a little bit strange he retired just the morning after the draw was made. “Normally you want to keep practising, keep trying until the last moment. You don’t retire Saturday morning. You retire on the Monday morning or the Sunday afternoon, not Saturday morning. If not you can do it before the draw.
“That’s why I say it’s strange. But he has his reason, and for sure the only negative news was he will not be playing here.
“It was difficult to understand but the worst thing is he is not healthy and I wish him a very fast recovery.”
Nadal admitted after his first-round tie he struggled to hear himself think, not to mention the strike of his own ball, as organisers closed the roof on the Arthur Ashe showcourt against torrential rain.
He said: “To be honest the noise is a little bit too much. I don’t know how the umpire or I can control that.
“The support of the crowd is massive. I enjoy it and have unforgettable memories from the US Open and this court because the energy is different from other places.
“But at the same time, under the roof, the noise was too much and I could not even hear the ball when I was hitting.
“I understand it’s a show at the end of the day and I enjoy that. But under the roof we need to be a little bit more strict about the noise.”
Federer revelled in his five-set brawl with a new kid on the block of world tennis. Despite a back injury the old-timer saw off Frances Tiafoe 4-6 6-2 6-1 1-6 6-4.
At 36, Federer is almost twice the age of the 19-year-old American but still has the moves to outsmart the young guns as he bids for his first US crown since 2008.
Federer has now won 79 matches at Flushing Meadows, equalling Andre Agassi – only Jimmy Connors has won more, with 98.
The Swiss said: “People were hoping for a good battle between the next generation and somebody established. They were very excited about seeing me back on the court, especially after the year I’ve had.
“They didn’t want to see a one-sided clash, the people got what they wanted.
“If I enter the tournament it’s because I believe I can play and go deep and I still believe that. This win will give me a lot of confidence. I was never in pain.”
Normally you want to keep practising, keep trying until the last moment RAFA NADAL RUGBY