By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday August 1, 2022
If it’s not one thing, it’s another. That must be the way Andy Murray feels this summer.
After working hard to get himself into shape for the grass season, Murray’s progress was halted by an ab injury and he had to go into Wimbledon cold, without practicing his serve for ten days prior to the tournament.
Now in North America the Scot is chasing his pre-stated goal of being seeded for the US Open, but he has struggled in the hot, humid conditions. Today he was lethargic as he fell to Mikael Ymer, the World No.115 in three sets at the Citi Open.
After the match Murray says he’s a bit worried about cramping issues, and intends to work hard solving the problem.
“I started cramping at the end of the first set,” Murray said. “After that you're just trying to, I guess, find a way and get through the match, if you can find a way to win… just frustrating.”
Murray says he had issues at Newport as well – the same problem.
“Actually in Newport I cramped right at the end of one of my matches there,” he said. “Really hot and humid. Usually I quite enjoy playing in those conditions. Yeah, struggled a little bit the last two tournaments with that.
The former World No.1 says he will start scheduling practices later in the head of the day, rather than trying to get off the court before sweltering conditions take over, so he can be ready for the battles to come.
Murray isn’t finding a lot of positives at the moment, but he still believes he can do some damage in North America.
He wants to be seeded at the US Open, to avoid playing top players in the first and second round, and he believes he can do it.
“It's still possible to do it,” he said. “I would just need to have a good run in Canada or Cincinnati really. It's pretty straightforward: if I was to make a quarterfinal or a semifinal there, which right now doesn't seem -- after a loss like that doesn't seem realistic.
“But I do feel like if I play very well that I could do that. But, yeah, I'll need to certainly play better than I did today.”