Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal insisted Friday that they have no intention of loosening their grip on power despite the sport’s “Big Four” slipping into the twilight of their careers.
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ANDY MURRAY reckons he can dethrone Novak Djokovic as the world No 1.by next spring.
Djokovic admitted that he had been suffering with his wrist injury for almost a month and was having intensive treatment in the hope of being “as close to 100 per cent as possible during the course of this tournament, at least for the beginning of it”. I think usually I prefer to play more coming into the final Grand Slam of the year, but there is nothing we can do about it.
The 35 year old Swiss Maestro chose to skip the Olympics and the rest of the season following Wimbledon this year.
However, while the two best players in the world are not scheduled to meet until the final, Murray knows, but dare not utter too loudly, that Djokovic is more vulnerable than he has been at any major over the past few years and his elimination would make his grab for a second major this year far easier.
“It’s a different mentality to when you’re younger and you feel like you have time on your side”.
Murray played 14 matches in 15 days en route to winning his second straight gold medal and reaching the final at Cincinnati, when the fatigue finally caught up to him. Janowicz is the type of player who can get red-hot in sudden bursts, and with the Serbian’s return compromised due to the injury, that might be enough to steal at least one set.
Most significantly, for once, even Djokovic isn’t above the Big Four’s problems in 2016. “But still Novak is No. 1, Andy No. 2”, said 14-time major victor Nadal. “I’m just hoping that Monday when the tournament starts I’ll be able to get as close to executing my backhand shot as possible”.
World No 2 Angelique Kerber, the Australian Open champion who can dethrone six-time US Open victor Williams as world No 1 in NY, opens against Polona Hercog of Slovenia.
At Wimbledon, Djokovic faced a third-round exit at the hands of Sam Querrey.
Meanwhile, Laura Robson has revealed that the secret behind her rejuvenation is that she has stopped focusing on how good she was before the series of wrist injuries that threatened to derail her career.
“Sometimes time is what you need as an athlete, and the U.S. Open is around the corner and I don’t have much time”, Djokovic said.
The No. 1-seeded Djokovic, who defeated Nadal in the 2011 U.S. Open final and Roger Federer for last year’s title, said his wrist began bothering him shortly before the start of the Rio Games, where he lost in the first round.
There is no Grand Slam to tantalize her, but if she wins the Open, she will pass Steffi Graf with her 23rd major tournament victory, an Open-era record.
Her bid to retain her Olympic singles title ended in Rio de Janeiro when she was sent crashing out of the third round by Elina Svitolina.
Murray said after falling at the last hurdle in Cincinnati on Sunday that he had been carrying a shoulder injury during the week, and while it is understood that has now eased, he says tiredness has been an issue.
If Serena isn’t at full strength, Kerber is just one of the players poised to pounce.
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If Williams faces Kerber in the Final, she will have to defeat the German to stay perched at the top. I’ve played a lot.
