One Murr time
> ‘Sir Andy’ looks to banish Aussie Open blues
NEWLY knighted Andy Murray will bid to end a run of heartbreaking defeats at the Australian Open and see off his chief rival Novak Djokovic as he enters his first Grand Slam tournament as world No. 1.
‘Sir Andy’, knighted in Britain’s New Year Honours list after a magnificent 2016 saw a second Wimbledon crown, a successful Olympic title defence and the year-end top ranking, has lost five Melbourne finals, four of those to Djokovic.
But after years of playing second fiddle to the 12-time major-winning Serb, Murray is coming off a break-out year when he knocked Djokovic off the top spot to become world No. 1 for the first time.
“I think physically it was a good test to start the year, and I did good in Qatar,” Murray said. “My body feels all right just now, so that’s positive. Still think there are things I can do better.”
As the top two seeds, Murray and Djokovic will be on opposite sides of the men’s draw and seeded to meet each other in the January 29 final.
Murray, who lost to Djokovic in the 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2016 Australian Open deciders, trails the Serb 25-11 in their encounters, but the Scot dominated the second half of last year.
In contrast, Djokovic’s season imploded after a thirdround loss at Wimbledon, followed by a first-round exit to Juan Martin del Potro at the Rio Olympics and defeat to Stan Wawrinka in the US Open final.
But with six titles, Djokovic will make history as the player with the most Australian Open victories if he manages to win the tournament again.
A seventh triumph would pull him one clear of Australia’s Roy Emerson, who also won six titles but in the amateur era of the 1960s.
“Playing five matches and then three hours against the No. 1 of the world, biggest rival, and winning in a thrilling marathon match is something that definitely can serve as a positive incentive for what’s coming up in Australia,” he said.
Outside the top two, the main hopes rest with reigning US Open champion Stan Wawrinka, who won in Melbourne in 2014, big-serving Canadian world No. 3 Milos Raonic and Japanese hope Kei Nishikori.
Grand Slam warriors Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal should also be in the mix, but they lack match time and their rankings have slipped.
Seventeen-time Grand Slam great Federer, who at 17 is out of the top 10 for the first time since late 2002, is easing his way back after six months out with a knee injury, while 14-time Grand Slam winner Nadal is coming off another injury-hit season. – AFP
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