TENNIS US OPEN:ANDY MURRAY finds himself at the eye of Hurricane Chaos in this turbulent US Open. While all around him his rivals were caught up in the eddying confusion yesterday, the Scot has calmly booked his place in the quarter-finals, swatting away the substandard challenge of the American Donald Young, winning 6-2 6-3 6-3 in a little under two hours.
It was a satisfying get-square for Murray, who was still hurting from the defeat the young American inflicted on him at Indian Wells six months ago, when ranked 143rd in the world. That was a desperate low for Murray, a huge high for Young.
There was no ill-feeling after the rematch, though, and much good grace from the loser. “He’s a great player,” the 22-year-old Young said. “He did what he needed to do. He played solid the way that I’ve seen him always play, didn’t miss much, didn’t give you much, made you feel under pressure pretty much the whole time.”
Andy Roddick and David Ferrer, meanwhile, had to switch courts midway through the first set of their fourth-round match after they resumed, another red-face moment for the tournament organisers, who have already struggled to contain a revolt by leading players, who objected to playing on dangerously damp surfaces on Wednesday.
The baggage from that row arrived with a thump when the clouds finally parted. Play on the second court, Louis Armstrong, was abandoned in bright sunshine midway through the first set because the surface had warped after a night of torrential rain, with Roddick up 4-2 against the Spaniard.
There were, of course, no covers, and this tournament lurches from one farce to another. With two days lost to the weather, organisers are running out of excuses for a fixtures pile-up that would not look out of place in the Premier League in midwinter.
“We just want to play, let’s go,” Roddick said testily, as the match was rescheduled for Court 13, a boon for those with ground passes, but another black mark for the tournament.
None of which is Murray’s immediate concern. “After the last couple of days it’s good to get off in straight sets, get some rest, because it’s going to be a long few days,” Murray said: “I’m very happy because it’s getting very warm now. It’s tough conditions today.”
If it doesn’t rain, it shines. When John McEnroe suggested that this US Open would provide Murray with his best chance of winning a grand slam event, the Scot scoffed. A couple of weeks on, and he may be inclined to think the American had a point.
McEnroe’s argument was that there was enough confusion in the upper reaches of the men’s game to give the world number four hope: the world number one Novak Djokovic was coming off an injury retirement loss to him in Cincinnati; the world number three Roger Federer was still dangerous, but 30; and the world number two Nadal was looking vulnerable – never more so than when he slipped from sight at the press conference this week clutching his cramped leg.
The Spaniard made up for that yesterday. On the same side of the draw as Murray and ready for a semi-final against the Scot, he came back from a 3-0 deficit overnight to beat Gilles Muller 7-6, 6-1, 6-2 in just over two hours.
Guardian Service
