US Open: Top 3 Progress, Murray Exits
“I have no idea whether I’ll win a Grand Slam or not. I want to, but if I never win one, then what?” is what fourth seeded Andy Murray said after the four-set loss to Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka in the third round at Flushing Meadows. The 23-year-old Scott reached only two Grand Slam finals in his entire career, including the Australian Open this year and the same US Open two years ago. He failed though raising any of these two trophies. Despite a very good start, Murray saw himself overcome by the Swiss who came back after failing in taking the first set in tie break. Wawrinka replied in the same manner to push the second set into the tie break and winning it to four. The next two sets seemed to be a simple formality for the Swiss who dominated the Scott to end to match 6-7(3), 7-6(4), 6-3, 6-3.
Thus, depressed Murray is still looking for his first Grand Slam success. “If I give a hundred per cent, try my best, physically work as hard as I can, practice as much as I can, then that’s all I can do. It’s something I would love to do. It’s a very difficult thing. But I’ll give it my best shot,” stunned Scottish also added after the early exit at US Open. However, he said he started to feel pain during the second set in his left thigh, but his effort drove nowhere but to frustration. “In the third and fourth sets, I was struggling physically and I got frustrated with that. I haven’t been in that position for a very long time having fitness issues. Maybe I felt like my chance of doing well here was slipping away. I just didn’t feel great. There were a lot of things that I was feeling on the court. I just haven’t felt that way for a few years now,” fourth ATP player added.
Finally, the Swiss became more aggressive once he took the second set to give no chance downed Murray in the end. “I just tried to focus on being really aggressive,” Wawrinka, who will face American Sam Querrey in the fourth round, declared after the meeting. Apart from sensational Wawrinka, top three ATP (Nadal, Federer, Djokovic) also advanced in the next round that precedes the quarter finals. The Spaniard is still keeping the same ‘clinical’ road not to lose any set so far under the Meadows sun. He ousted French Gilles Simon in the third round 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 to meet compatriot Feliciano Lopez further. Nadal, who is looking to become the first tennis player who wins all the four Grand Slam tournaments in a row, showed confident with his playing not to foresee what would stop him in his progress though the final. “I think I am playing better, a little bit better, every day. So today was a solid match, I think. The serve is still good, so that’s a very important thing. From the baseline, I think my movements and my shots start improve, to be better every day,” this year’s Wimbledon and Roland Garros champion said.
The fact of not losing any set and make a clean way gives Nadal much more confidence for the rounds to follow, this having the chance not to face yet any of the main favorites for the US title. Thus, if he passes Lopez, he will meet in the quarters one of his compatriots David Ferrer or Fernando Verdasco who are set to dispute the other fourth round which intersects with Nadal’s. However, the 24-year-old Spanish champion is ready to produce the same good playing he did until now. “I am in fourth round. That’s good news for me – without losing a set – but there is a long way to go. I am happy where I am, but it is only the fourth round. It’s very good news be improving during the tournament So that’s what I did, and I need to keep improving if I want to have chances,” while asked what’s his opinion concerning the fact that six of 16 players remained to dispute the fourth round are Spanish players, he answered: “That is positive news for us. Especially is very positive because I think, for the ball and for the court, it is probably the most difficult tournament for us. So that is very important news for Spanish tennis.”
Concerning the opposite half of the table, this shows a mirror performance for the other favorites. More exactly, the second favorite at Meadows, Roger Federer, who won five trophies at Flushing Meadows, advanced in the same manner the Spaniard does. No sets lost for the Swiss, too. Even more than that, none of the opponents he met and beaten so far couldn’t push any set into tie break, unlike Nadal who won three of the sets on the edge. As mentioned, Federer applied the same treatment against Paul Henri Mathieu. He won 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 and seemed not to have any other enemy but the strong wind, who caused him more problems than the French did. “The wind was very strong. I think you could tell Mathieu was really struggling after being down in the score. His serve, his returns, everything kind of falls into pieces. That’s what the wind can do to you. I kind of felt comfortable, because you can also use it to your advantage and play really great tennis. You have to be careful with it. After four games or so, I knew what I could do and what I couldn’t do,” the Swiss, who will play Austria’s Jurgen Melzer in the fourth round, declared right after.
Finally, third ATP seeded Novak Djokovic made the progress forward, too. The Serbian ousted one of the fewer Americans who remained on course for the home title. The 2008 Australian Open champion passed old Blake in three straight sets with only one threat of facing a tie break in the second round. However, he finished the match 6-1, 7-6, 6-3 to concern Blake and make him reconsider his retirement. “It’s a big mental struggle when you have such a strong wind to find a way how to try to play good tennis, especially if you have somebody across the net who is so aggressive, taking everything early and playing a risky game. My focus today was great,” the Serbian said. Still, he didn’t get rid of the American adventure yet. Djokovic will face Mardy Fish in the fourth round, the one who had to struggle in front of French Arnaud Clement to put a happy end in a five-set meeting, and the same who won two titles this season home. Thus, he can praise himself with both Newport and Atlanta tournaments he recently won to give him lot of confidence for the days to come.
Djokovic declared a bit scared of the American, whom he considers to play one of his best tennis this period. “I think he’s playing maybe his best tennis at this moment. He’s moving really well. He’s serving as good as he served always. He has a lot of talent. He’s recognizing the moment, coming to the net. He has a lot of variety in the game. I guess I have to be on the top of my game to be able to win,” the Serbian ended.
