JAMIE’S A MAJOR STAR
US Open doubles title for Murray
JAMIE MURRAY celebrated his latest Grand Slam success at the US Open — before urging the Scottish government to back his mother Judy’s plans for a tennis centre near Dunblane.
Murray and Brazilian partner Bruno Soares eased to victory in the final of the men’s doubles yesterday, beating Spaniards Pablo Carreno Busta and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-2, 6-3 in 79 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium. It is a third major title for Murray, who won the Wimbledon mixed doubles in 2007 and the Australian Open men’s doubles earlier this year.
When told that Andy had never won two in the same year, Murray delivered a light-hearted jibe towards his younger brother watching at home in London, saying: ‘Get it up you, Andy.’
Murray’s success here means that the Dunblane brothers have now collectively won six Grand Slam titles, two Olympic gold medals and the Davis Cup, as well as attaining the world No 1 spot when Jamie reached the top of the doubles rankings in April.
And 30-year-old Murray is hoping the chance to leave a legacy in Scotland in the form of Judy’s proposed £37.5million Park of Keir centre is not lost after a public inquiry into the plans was held this week.
Murray said: ‘I think my mum has done some amazing things.
‘For everything that she’s done for us and for tennis in Scotland, she’s able to get the tennis club built. I think if we want to kind of leave a legacy of what we’re doing, it’s the best way to do it.
‘I really hope that the Scottish government back her plans.’
JAMIE MURRAY may travel in his brother’s slipstream, but he took the Dunblane siblings’ Grand Slam title tally to five last night when he triumphed at the US Open.
His decision to pair up with Brazilian Bruno Soares has proved a masterstroke and they overcame Spain’s Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and Pablo Carreno Busta 6-2, 6-3 in a 78-minute final in New York.
Aside from anything, the winners get to share £475,000 which, boosted by the post-Brexit dollar, is not to be sniffed at in the less glamorous world of doubles.
Having won the Australian Open in January, the Murray-Soares partnership also struck another blow for the sometimes derided doubles specialists in tennis, because their Spanish opponents are both top 50 singles players in their own right.
For Murray it was another mark of progress as he lost this final 12 months ago alongside Australian John Peers, who looked decidedly fragile on the day.
It means that the two Murrays have now won three of the four Grand Slams between them in different forms, plus the Olympics, with only the French Open proving elusive.
The older brother had a disappointing time in Rio, resolving to put that right at Flushing Meadows, which he certainly did.
Murray and Soares are now officially back as the world’s second best doubles team, and they beat the No1s, Frenchmen Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut in the semi-finals.
The favourites struggled initially against the piercing returns of two high-quality singles players, before asserting their authority.
The Spanish pair had only played 20 times together before this, but that did not stop them breaking Murray in the first game as they rifled back his serve.
That damage was immediately undone when Garcia-Lopez was broken immediately, but there was further alarm when after the next three games passed without incident.
Murray, who had been flexing his neck, summoned on the trainer and needed a medical timeout as, lying on his back, the muscles going into his head were given a massage.
It clearly worked because they then broke the Carreno Busta serve, with Murray’s trademark quick hands at the net coming into their own as he pounced on a backhand volley at break point, and fired it down the middle.
A similar trick was performed against the Garcia-Lopez serve at 5-2. Murray has a farmer’s gait but is lightning quick at the net and he flung himself at a forehand volley to put it away after Soares’ good work at the back of the court.
Murray needed to save a break point on his serve at the start of the second, and there seemed little to get excited about when the Spanish team moved to 40-0 in the next game.
But the baseline-net combination of Soares and Murray, right and lefthanders respectively swung into action once more. Murray again was all over the net as he punched away another forehand volley after they had crept back into the game and got to advantage.
Their superior craft at the net and 50 per cent of points won against first serve — the return of Soares was outstanding — was a big difference and Murray served it out with a minimum of drama, to love.
After this, he will head back home for a rare visit to Scotland and prepare for the Davis Cup semi-final against Argentina, which starts on Friday.