Cool, calm and in a New York state of mind

Stewart Fisher

Sports Writer

Sunday 26 August 2012

ANDY Murray has been playing it cool in the lead-up to this US Open but things are about to heat up.

Andy Murray is opting for a quiet life, at least off the court, during the US Open Photograph: Getty

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Stewart Fisher

During his pre-tournament press conference at Flushing Meadows yesterday, the Scot spoke of the virtues of keeping a low profile and changing his traditional New York base to a quiet hotel near Central Park in an attempt to avoid the hustle and bustle of central Manhattan. But the 25-year-old will be the centre of attention soon enough in any case, with tournament administrators last night asking him to play his first-round opponent, Alex Bogomolov Jnr of Russia, on the main Arthur Ashe arena tomorrow lunchtime.

This is in marked contrast to last year, when the Scot's leisurely beginning to the tournament saw him kicking his heels until Wednesday of the first week. For the record, the forecast for tomorrow is for temperatures of 84F, serious humidity and the likelihood of thunderstorms for the entire Metropolitan area."I am staying in a quieter hotel than usual this time and just trying to make sure I don't spend too much time around the courts, because it can be very busy, quite loud at the courts, especially in the first week," Murray said. "So I will be just trying to get out of here as quickly as possible and relax in the evenings, and not spend too much time out and about. I like just being able to get back to the room and chill out. Obviously New York can be very, very noisy if you're staying right in the middle of Manhattan. That's why I decided to change this year."When I had a few days off I still went out and walked around a bit, did shopping, that sort of stuff," he added. "But when it gets closer and closer to the tournament I try to stay away from the streets and in my own little bubble."Murray said he felt no after effects of the knee problem which caused him to pull out of the recent Masters event in Toronto. The Scot has played just three matches on the hard courts, but feels that is a benefit rather than a problem. "In some ways it was good," he said. "As long as I have trained well and practised well, that's what gives me the most confidence. I went into Wimbledon this year having lost in the first round at Queen's. That was seen as a horrible preparation, but Wimbledon worked out fine."All may have been calm yesterday but there was no mistaking the size of the stakes for the Scot in the next fortnight. Should he seize his place in history and claim the senior US Open title to go with the one he won here as a junior, it would not only validate a lifetime of graft and silence his critics forever, but would also make it the first year since 2003 when four different players will have shared out the Grand Slam titles.As laudable and hugely impressive as the Scot's London 2012 win was, the Olympic tennis competition has a strange quasi-major status. "Points-wise, it's considered to be behind 14 other tournaments, the four Majors and the 10 Masters Series, and I find that ludicrous," said ESPN pundit John McEnroe. "But I'm hoping that it can help break the ice so to speak and he can win some slams. He has the most to lose and the most to gain at this point. The way it pans out, it's conceivable that Murray could make an argument were he to win this, and then, say, win the Masters Tour final, that you could say he's the best player in the world this year. That's an unbelievable upside."The only problem is that Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic covet the crown for similar reasons. While victory could see Djokovic reclaim the No 1 spot and give him cause to reflect that his 2012 wasn't too bad after all, triumph for Federer would consolidate the stunning Indian summer of his career. "He's playing with no pressure at all, playing with house money," said McEnroe's brother Patrick of Federer. "He's the most talented player I've ever seen, so I think when he can play with that kind of freedom, it makes him that much tougher to beat.."There are inherent dangers of looking too far ahead, particularly at a venue where the likes of Marin Cilic and Stanislas Wawrinka have ushered the Scot out of the tournament early. Although Murray has made the semis or better in seven of the last eight slams, there is a perception he is still more vulnerable than Federer or Djokovic and Milos Raonic, the Montenegrin Missile is one potential problem loitering on his route to glory.First-round opponent Bogomolov, ranked No 73 in the world, has a high-profile defeat of Murray on his cv, in Miami in March of last year. But rather than worry about challenges to come, Murray is prepared to let everyone else fret about him for a change.

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Cool, calm and in a New York state of mind

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