Andy Murray finds title-winning form in time for US Open
By mid September we’ll know whether Andy Murray’s title-winning run at the Rogers Cup in Toronto was a portent of things to come or a false dawn, more evidence the Scot can defeat the best in the world as long as there’s not a Grand Slam title at stake.
For now, though, there’s reason for Murray to celebrate. He’s defended his Rogers Cup title and in some style too: ending David Nalbandian’s 11-match winning streak in the quarter-finals; helping himself to a straight sets victory over world No. 1 Rafael Nadal in the semis; and laying some demons to rest by defeating Roger Federer 7-5, 7-5 in the final.
The last meeting between Federer and Murray had been in the Australian Open final at the start of this year, where the Swiss claimed his 16th Grand Slam title of his career, and the British No. 1 was left to rue how near, yet how far, he was from winning his first.
"Winning a tournament is always great, but it's the first time I beat Roger and Rafa in the same tournament, which is probably the most pleasing thing, and then didn't drop a set against either of them," he said. "So it's good for the confidence for the next few weeks."
It was also the first time Murray had defeated Federer in the final of any tournament, in what has now been four meetings in tournament deciders, and moves the world No. 4 to a 7-5 career winning record against the 29-year-old.
There’s no doubting Toronto was the result Murray needed right now. He arrived in Canada coach-less (after splitting with Miles Maclagan last month) and without a title to his name for 2010. A combination that just two weeks out from the US Open did not, it has to be said, inspire too much confidence in his chances of claiming that maiden Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows.
Replicating the Nadal and Federer double may well be what it takes for Murray to go one better than he did in New York in 2008, when Federer defeated him in the final, but there’s no doubt that doing so over the best of five sets that it takes at a Grand Slam, where the stakes are at their highest, would be a much, much more difficult task.
Whether Murray is equal to that challenge in his current form will be revealed at the US Open this August and September.
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