Murray puts wind up his rivals
THE VENUE may be changing, the conditions may have altered but Andy Murray remains the same.
On a hot and humid Tuesday night, he outwitted Nick Kyrgios – again – 7- 5, 6- 3, 4- 6, 6- 1 to reach the second round of the US Open. That is four wins out of four against the talented but erratic Australian and made for a perfect start to Murray’s campaign.
“It was a tough match,” he said. “I served pretty well for the most part and hit my second serve extremely well in the fourth set. That’s something I’ll hopefully keep doing as the tournament goes on.”
Murray pinged down 18 aces, mixing up his placement to keep Kyrgios guessing. The Australian played well in spells but the world No3 was too clever and too solid from start to finish.
Murray will need all the strategic nous he can muster this year thanks to the changes being made to the complex. The massive Arthur Ashe Stadium that dominates the Flushing Meadows landscape is in the process of having a roof fitted. The static part is in place, with the retractable section due to arrive next year.
The overall effect has been dramatic. The stadium feels smaller, there is little to no wind on the once blustery playing surface and yet the general noise levels have increased.
The old stadium used to be one of the 2012 US Open champion’s happiest hunting grounds – it may not have been easy to play there but he had mastered the art better than most. But now the “improvements” have taken that edge away from him to a degree.
“It does have more of a feeling of being indoors now, whereas I used to feel like that court was one of the toughest of the big stadiums to play on because the wind could make it very tricky,” he said.
“I quite like windy conditions. I think windy conditions unsettle everybody. It’s not comfortable to play in.
“It’s a challenge. It’s a skill to be able to use it in your favour. I think the level of tennis that will be played there this year will probably be better than usual because of the roof.”
That was not an issue on Tuesday night and he is unlikely to play in the Ashe Stadium when he faces Adrian Mannarino today. But should he reach the semi- finals and see Roger Federer, the master of indoor tennis, in front of him then his task will be significantly greater.
Today, though, his only concern is Mannarino, the 27- year- old Frenchman ranked No35 in the world. They have played once before with Murray winning in straight sets, but the Scot is still wary of his foe.
“He’s a tricky player,” said Murray. “He’s a lefty and hits the ball extremely flat off both sides. He has excellent timing, very good hands and is quick. Good athlete. Talented guy.”
But roof or no roof, wind or no wind, Murray is still the favourite to reach the third round.