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NEW YORK — Away from the highlight of the field workplace evening matches, Andy Murray is greeted with reverence and a touch of nostalgia every time his identify is learn out. However this is not a farewell tour for the 2012 US Open winner.
With a steel hip and close to misses with retirement within the rearview mirror, Murray’s physique and thoughts have reached uncommon synergy main into this yr’s competitors. The three-time Grand Slam winner is into the third spherical of a Grand Slam away from Wimbledon for the primary time since 2017.
“My motion across the court docket is nice proper now,” Murray stated after defeating Emilio Nava within the second spherical on Wednesday. “I really feel prefer it’s not that simple for guys to hit winners previous me and I am defending within the corners a lot better than I used to be 12 months in the past right here.
“I am not having to fret about, you recognize, the subsequent day waking up with one thing that’s going to actually impression me or hamper my tennis.”
The fab 4 of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Murray received each Grand Slam between 2010 and 2013 (their report because the French Open in 2005 is ridiculous, successful all however seven of the Slams up to now).
Regardless of the management they’ve over their craft, accidents and age interrupt grand plans — Nadal’s hamartia is his ankle, Federer is battling again from knee surgical procedure, and Djokovic’s bid at overtaking Nadal’s 23 Slams has been hampered by his COVID-19 vaccination stance. Again in late 2017 and 2018 it seemed as if Murray’s continual hip issues can be unsurmountable. On the 2019 Australian Open, a retirement montage was performed in his honor on Rod Laver Enviornment.
That yr, he had a hip resurfacing process with the objective of with the ability to stroll up the steps and play together with his youngsters with out ache. As a substitute, it has extended his profession.
There have been instances watching him when he resembled tennis’ reluctant model of “The Combating Temeraire” — one other image of an period ending. He has spoken overtly about his tennis mortality. After his third-round defeat to Denis Shapovalov at Wimbledon 2021 he picked by means of whether or not it was value preventing on. “Is all of that coaching and all the pieces that you just’re doing within the gymnasium, except you are in a position to like observe and enhance your recreation and get a run of tournaments, like, is it value all the work that you just’re doing?” he stated on the time.
However the hip has held up, and this yr he has managed constant observe. That is to not say there have not been the standard bumps and scrapes. He had an ab pressure within the run-up to Wimbledon. He has had points with cramping right here within the U.S., and after clear sweat exams and scans to get rid of any trigger there, it has been right down to him and his workforce to tweak his hydration and vitamin. So alongside going through the No. 24 seed Francisco Cerundolo within the first spherical, after which the promising teenager Nava within the second spherical, he has needed to handle sustaining an consumption of 1.5 liters of sports activities drink each 40 minutes in Flushing Meadows.
What shocked Cerundolo was Murray’s capability to learn the sport. Whereas he could be somewhat slower between factors, Murray’s return recreation was on level.
“I do not learn each single shot, however when you begin to play extra matches, [you] get a bit extra comfy together with your motion, which I do really feel like now I am transferring loads higher than I used to be at the moment final yr,” Murray stated after that second-round win over Nava. “I’ve acquired extra matches beneath my belt, so I am beginning to see issues somewhat bit simpler on the match court docket, that, you recognize, once you mix the 2, it makes fairly a giant distinction to my motion.”
There are nonetheless flashes of the Murray who received three Grand Slams (2012 US Open, 2013 and 2016 Wimbledon), two Olympic males’s singles gold medals in 2012 and 2016, and reached No. 1 on the earth in 2016. There’s Ivan Lendl again as his coach, who was in his nook for all that success. “He is very clear on the way in which that I must play and go about matches if I wish to get again as much as the highest of the sport once more,” Murray stated of Lendl this week.
And Murray nonetheless sometimes launches frustration within the course of his workforce every time he misfires. In opposition to Nava, he was rising more and more offended at languid spectators looking for their seats and interrupting play. He even seemed exasperated with the solar. However that is all a part of what makes him Murray — the person who’s offended one minute, fist-clenched chest-thumping in celebration the subsequent, and generally crying.
Again in 2012 when Murray received the US Open, his postmatch information convention was gate-crashed by Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Sean Connery to crown Britain’s new sports activities star. A decade on with a brand new hip, Murray remains to be right here, hustling his manner by means of the event, seeing off the younger pretenders. He nonetheless has objectives within the sport: He needs to win 4 extra tournaments as a professional to achieve the 50 mark and is 89 tour matches off his goal of 800. And within the course of, he is like to enhance his rating so he is a seed for tournaments.
The hearth’s nonetheless burning in him, and although he’ll be the underdog towards Matteo Berrettini on Friday, do not mistake this for one final jaunt within the solar. Wanting again on the sooner a part of his profession, Murray regrets not having fun with the highs extra. However for all of the nostalgia and that fixed nagging feeling of how for much longer he’ll maintain up, he isn’t within the temper for this to be a wonderful encore. As a substitute, he is pain-free, and has eyes on a deep run right here.
“When he has been on the court docket, he has performed actually, very well,” Murray stated of Berrettini. “I’m anticipating it to be actually tough. But when I play effectively and my returns are on level, then I’ve an excellent probability.”