Murray to end British drought?

2008-09-06 18:55

New York - Grand Slam semi-final debutante Andy Murray is playing the best tennis of his career at the US Open and could be poised to capture Britain's first men's Grand Slam title in the 40-year Open era.

The lanky 21-year-old Scotsman is scheduled to face world number one Rafael Nadal of Spain on Saturday in the semi-finals but predictions of rain showers could delay the match-up, adding to the tension at the year's last Slam event.

"How you do in Slams is how you are remembered in tennis and I wanted to improve my record in them," Murray said. "Definitely done that this year. Hopefully I can keep it going."

Murray advanced to the Wimbledon quarter-finals, where he lost to Nadal as he would again three weeks later in a Canada semi-final, and has made a breakthrough march to the Flushing Meadows final four.

Murray can become only the third British man to reach a Slam final in the Open era, following Greg Rusedski in the 1997 US Open and John Lloyd from the 1977 Australian Open.

Neither of them won but Nadal knows Murray could, even though the Spanish left-hander is 5-0 against him and comes in off titles at Wimbledon, the French Open and the Beijing Olympics.

"He can win the title," Nadal said. "For sure it's his first Grand Slam semi-final but he has played very important matches so it's going to be nothing strange for him.

"I have all the respect for him. He is playing very well. The only way for me to win is play my best tennis. It's going to be a very tough match."

Sixth seed Murray has ensured a jump to fourth in Monday's rankings to match Rusedski and Tim Henman as the ATP's highest-rated Britons ever, having grown into the role from his days as a highly touted teen star.

"I'm more mature than I was a few years ago. That makes a huge difference," Murray said.

"You understand that guys are going to play well, to come back at you when you are serving for the set. It doesn't happen as much in juniors. Now I'm more used to these situations."

Nadal will be playing his first US Open semi-final, his first hardcourt Slam semi-final after taking four titles on the red clay of Roland Garros and an epic win over Roger Federer in June's Wimbledon final.

"The times I've played him on hardcourts, I've had quite a few close sets, really tough matches," Murray said. "The last two or three matches I didn't return well at all. That's the only thing I need to do better."

Since taking a two sets to one lead in a fourth-round match with Nadal at the 2007 Australian Open, Murray has been unable to take a set off him, losing 11 in a row.

Only two British men have won the marquee US event in its 128-year overall history, Hugh Doherty in 1903 and Fred Perry in 1933, 1934 and 1936. In each of those years the tournament was staged on grass.

- AFP