Murray must beware Fed’s quick trick
ROGER FEDERER took his six-year-old twin daughters Charlene and Myla to the Metropolitan Museum of Art here this week, to look at its current China exhibition.
Many in New York are also talking about Federer’s own work of genius, one that he has created at the US Open: his new, almost halfvolley return of serve that has been working to devastating effect.
The tactic — moving to within a few feet of the centre service line to receive, then charging the net — has helped him need just two hours and 37 minutes to get through the first two rounds. He has lost only nine games, while his prospective semi-final opponent Andy Murray has already taken six hours in the sapping heat to progress, for the loss of three sets.
After being taken to five by Adrian Mannarino, the Scot could very much use a quick match tonight against Brazilian lefthander Thomaz Belluci, the world No 30, whom he plays in the late match on Arthur Ashe stadium starting around 2am UK time.
Following Thursday night’s exertions Murray slightly shortened his practice yesterday. He was planning an afternoon nap to try to subdue a heavy head cold that has had him coughing and affected numerous people at the crowded, air-conditioned virus factory that is Flushing Meadows.
His fellow British survivor, Jo Konta, said she recovered well after her record-breaking threehour, 22-minute upset of world No 9 Garbine Muguruza. Konta now faces 18th seed Andrea Petkovic of Germany at 4pm UK time.
The remarkable Federer, who faces another German in Philipp Kohlschreiber, says some of his peers find his new tactic ‘pretty funny’ — providing they are not on the receiving end of it.
At 34, his ability to breeze through early rounds is key to having a sustained run at the tournament, and disposing of lesser opponents is something he has always been ruthlessly efficient at. We await to see what toll Murray’s early labours have taken on him.
He looked reasonably fresh at the end of the Mannarino match but needs to be careful with world No 30 Bellucci, the last left-hander to beat him not named Rafael Nadal. That was back in Madrid in May 2011, which shows just how good the Scot has been against southpaws. The match in Spain was on clay at slight altitude, but on hard courts at sea level over five sets a repeat is unlikely. With the possibility of a horrendously tough quarter-final against Stan Wawrinka before any Federer meeting, Murray does not want another marathon. Marin Cilic kept his title defence on track but not without a scare as the ninth seed needed over four hours to put away Mikhail Kukushkin and reach the fourth round with a 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-7, 6-1 win. For four sets, 27-year-old Kukushkin from Kazakhstan gave Cilic all he could handle and more but in the fifth he simply ran out of steam as the Croat surged ahead 5-0 before closing out the marathon encounter with his 27th ace.
For world No 97 Konta this will be the first time in a Grand Slam third round, and while Petkovic is solid and consistently beats players ranked below her she does not have the special ballstriking ability possessed by Muguruza.
And anything seems possible in a turbulent women’s event. Prior to Serena Williams playing last night, seven of the world’s top 10 had been beaten in the first two rounds, the only other two making the last 32 being Simona Halep and Petra Kvitova.