Andy Murray capable of ruffling feathers on Grand Slam return

3-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray is ranked 134th on the earth. (Supply: Document)

Former champion Andy Murray has set himself a low bar at this 12 months’s U.S. Open in what is going to be his first singles look at a Grand Slam because the 2019 Australian Open.

Two hip surgical procedures later and having reputedly recovered from the pelvic problems that sidelined him earlier than the COVID-19 shutdown in March, Murray isn’t fooling somebody although.

In spite of having performed handiest 3 fits at the ATP Excursion since remaining October, the 33-year-old Scot has no longer entered the Giant Apple’s bio-secure bubble merely to make up the numbers.

On this week’s Western & Southern Open, held at Flushing Meadows, Murray beat international quantity seven Alexander Zverev in the second one spherical — his first win over a top-10 participant since 2017.

He was once due to this fact pummelled through big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic within the subsequent spherical, however the victory over Germany’s Zverev would have stuck the eye of the remainder of the sector.

3-time Grand Slam champion Murray is also ranked 134th and he could be within the twilight of his profession, however the height seeds might be frightened to steer clear of him within the draw.

If truth be told, a run to the 3rd or fourth spherical could be a sizeable feat for a participant whose hip was once rebuilt in January 2019 in a final determined try to salvage his profession.

When he gained the Antwerp name remaining October, his first since 2017, it seemed as although he had rediscovered his former powers, however since then a chain of nagging accidents and the enforced lay-off brought about through the COVID-19 pandemic has stalled his go back.

PHYSICAL CONDITION

Murray, who beat Novak Djokovic to win his first Grand Slam name at Flushing Meadows in 2012, is obviously upbeat about his bodily situation, even though he berated himself for a deficient show towards Raonic.

“The primary few fits again after I began enjoying singles remaining 12 months I moved manner worse than I did right here, in order that was once certain,” Murray stated. “The positives are that I were given 3 fits in. Bodily, I pulled up OK.”

It’s something enjoying best-of-three units and every other taking up one of the most recreation’s younger weapons over best-of-five, the situation he’ll face in New York subsequent week.

Whilst Murray’s footwork is probably not what’s as soon as was once, his court docket craft and sheer bloody-mindedness, to not point out his huge enjoy, will give him a puncher’s likelihood of constructing a mark on what is going to be a rather surreal, and almost certainly unpredictable, fortnight within the first Grand Slam and not using a enthusiasts.

The ones wishing for a fairytale in New York could be asking a bit of an excessive amount of although.

“I don’t see him profitable every other main in his profession. I feel it’s simply bodily too hard for the entirety he’s been thru,” fellow Briton and previous U.S. Open runner-up Greg Rusedski stated this week.

“For Andy, if he may just get into the fourth spherical in the second one week of a big it will be a lovely efficiency.

“I feel he’s going to be in nice spirits and in reality benefit from the U.S. Open. He’s were given nice recollections there.”

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