Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
NEW YORK — Coming into this U.S. Open, Andy Murray hadn’t beaten a Top 10-opponent since his historic victory at Wimbledon in 2013.
And after undergoing back surgery following that championship, he hadn’t played in a tournament final since then, either.
Top seed Novak Djokovic or No. 2 Roger Federer are just about everybody’s favorites to win the tournament next Monday.
Yet after taking care of No. 9 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in straight sets, 7-5, 7-5, 6-4, despite tremendously humid conditions on Labor Day, No. 8 Murray is now through to the quarterfinals and stands just nine sets away from winning his second U.S. Open title and third Grand Slam event.
Murray will get Djokovic in the quarterfinals on Wednesday night in what figures to be a highly anticipated — and lengthy — match. Djokovic leads the all-time series, 12-8.
“I don’t feel like I’m that far away from playing my best tennis,” Murray said. “You know, it’s still obviously a long way from trying to win the tournament, but it’s only nine sets now, three matches, and just try and take it one set at a time. You know, maybe five, six days away from potentially winning another Grand Slam. I know there is a lot of work to be done between now and then.”
Tsonga came into the match looking like he could knock off Murray despite trailing the all-time series 9-2. He had won the recent Toronto hardcourt event, knocking off a murderer’s row of top players in Grigor Dimitrov, Djokovic, Murray and Federer to win the title.
But on the bigger stage of a Grand Slam match on Arthur Ashe Stadium court, Murray was too consistent and too tough despite his own battles with the heat.
“For sure today he was better than me,” Tsonga said.
Murray has had a rough tournament physically. In his first match last Monday, he suffered through cramps throughout his body and then wondered afterward what he had to eat or drink beforehand that might’ve caused the cramps.
He was then given almost three full days of rest before playing again Thursday night.
He said he may have overcompensated coming into this match by drinking too many liquids, which sent him to the bathroom after the second set against Tsonga.
“I think I had a slight issue with my stomach,” Murray said. “I think after what happened on Monday — well, last week — and the conditions the way they were today, I maybe went a little bit overboard with how much I was drinking at a few of the change of ends, at the beginning of the second set. Then after I went to the toilet the end of the second set I felt a bit better.”
Now he gets almost two more days off before a night match with Djokovic, with the winner set to move into the Final Four.
Murray knows he can beat Djokovic in a big spot, having beaten him in the 2012 U.S. Open final and the 2013 Wimbledon final.
But Djokovic is playing at a very high level and will be seeking his second Major of the year after beating Federer to take the Wimbledon crown in July.
“It’s just having that experience of playing those matches,” Murray said. “They were both very long, tough matches, as well. So I know that I can last those matches against him. But I have said it a number of times: anything can happen in a couple of days. I just do everything properly and hope on Wednesday I play a good match.”
Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle.
A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.
NEW YORK — Coming into this U.S. Open, Andy Murray hadn’t beaten a Top 10-opponent since his historic victory at Wimbledon in 2013.
And after undergoing back surgery following that championship, he hadn’t played in a tournament final since then, either.
Top seed Novak Djokovic or No. 2 Roger Federer are just about everybody’s favorites to win the tournament next Monday.
Yet after taking care of No. 9 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in straight sets, 7-5, 7-5, 6-4, despite tremendously humid conditions on Labor Day, No. 8 Murray is now through to the quarterfinals and stands just nine sets away from winning his second U.S. Open title and third Grand Slam event.
Murray will get Djokovic in the quarterfinals on Wednesday night in what figures to be a highly anticipated — and lengthy — match. Djokovic leads the all-time series, 12-8.
“I don’t feel like I’m that far away from playing my best tennis,” Murray said. “You know, it’s still obviously a long way from trying to win the tournament, but it’s only nine sets now, three matches, and just try and take it one set at a time. You know, maybe five, six days away from potentially winning another Grand Slam. I know there is a lot of work to be done between now and then.”
Tsonga came into the match looking like he could knock off Murray despite trailing the all-time series 9-2. He had won the recent Toronto hardcourt event, knocking off a murderer’s row of top players in Grigor Dimitrov, Djokovic, Murray and Federer to win the title.
But on the bigger stage of a Grand Slam match on Arthur Ashe Stadium court, Murray was too consistent and too tough despite his own battles with the heat.
“For sure today he was better than me,” Tsonga said.
Murray has had a rough tournament physically. In his first match last Monday, he suffered through cramps throughout his body and then wondered afterward what he had to eat or drink beforehand that might’ve caused the cramps.
He was then given almost three full days of rest before playing again Thursday night.
He said he may have overcompensated coming into this match by drinking too many liquids, which sent him to the bathroom after the second set against Tsonga.
“I think I had a slight issue with my stomach,” Murray said. “I think after what happened on Monday — well, last week — and the conditions the way they were today, I maybe went a little bit overboard with how much I was drinking at a few of the change of ends, at the beginning of the second set. Then after I went to the toilet the end of the second set I felt a bit better.”
Now he gets almost two more days off before a night match with Djokovic, with the winner set to move into the Final Four.
Murray knows he can beat Djokovic in a big spot, having beaten him in the 2012 U.S. Open final and the 2013 Wimbledon final.
But Djokovic is playing at a very high level and will be seeking his second Major of the year after beating Federer to take the Wimbledon crown in July.
“It’s just having that experience of playing those matches,” Murray said. “They were both very long, tough matches, as well. So I know that I can last those matches against him. But I have said it a number of times: anything can happen in a couple of days. I just do everything properly and hope on Wednesday I play a good match.”
