Davis Cup captain Leon Smith will be particularly interested in Murray’s energy levels ahead of Great Britain’s semi-final against Argentina next week, but he believes the world number two can outlast his rivals in NY.
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Japanese 26-year-old fourth seed Kei Nishikori won in three sets 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 against twenty-first seeded Croatian Ivo Karlovic.
His fastest serve of the night clocked 141mph, which appears to be his quickest ever as the Grand Slam facilities allow for more accurate measurement than at other tournaments. “I could sense it was getting tough for him”. ‘I think that was lucky. But that is definitely the fastest serve that I have hit.
“I made a lot of returns off first and second serves and was happy with my return game today”, Nishikori said. “Just because you play badly a couple of days ago doesn’t mean I’m going to play badly [in the next match]”.
‘I did go up in (racket string) tension a little bit from the last match.
Juan Martin del Potro says he feels like a new man having continued his remarkable resurgence after injury by reaching the US Open quarter-finals. I didn’t expect to be in quarters in my second grand slam after my comeback.
Sloppy and out of sorts in the early going, Murray had all he could handle from the 34-year-old Lorenzi, but worked his way through to a meeting with Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, a 6-4, 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 victor over Portugal’s Joao Sousa. It’s because I started to enjoy the process again.
The 6-4, 6-4 triumph avenged a bitter disappointment for Konjuh, who held three match points against Radwanska in the second round at Wimbledon before falling 9-7 in the third round after stepping on a ball and turning her ankle.
“I served one at 145 in San Jose but the next day they recalibrated the gun because it was completely wrong”.
“What I like most about practising with them is I have a responsibility to work hard and push myself”, said the Scot.
Djokovic looked in ominous form during his straight-sets win over Kyle Edmund on Sunday, but Murray insists he drew no extra motivation from the Serbian’s ruthless display against his compatriot.
Murray had nine aces, compared to two for Dimitrov.
Great Britain captain Leon Smith admits Andy Murray will be exhausted ahead of next weekend’s Davis Cup semi-final against Argentina but is backing the Scot to play in the tie.
Murray’s last Davis Cup action came against Japan in March, when he edged an epic five-setter against Kei Nishikori to win the tie.
‘Andy is the best player right now out there, ‘ he admitted after the match.
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Grigor Dimitrov stormed into his first major semifinal that day, and surely many more would be to come. “The thing is I tried”.
