Britain’s Andy Murray says he is ready to give his “best effort” at the US Open as he prepares to play in his first Grand Slam since last year’s Wimbledon.
Murray, who returned this year after surgery on a hip injury, will be playing his first Grand Slam since his run to the 2017 Wimbledon quarter-finals when he opens against unseeded Australian James Duckworth
The 2012 champion in New York is ranked 378 but 26-year-old Duckworth is even lower down the ladder at 445 – with both players entering the tournament on a protected ranking following injury.
Should Murray advance, he would face Fernando Verdasco or Feliciano Lopez of Spain in the second round before a projected third-round clash against Argentine third seed and 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro.
But the Scot’s only concern is producing good tennis at Flushing Meadows having only played seven matches so far this year as the former world No 1 continues his comeback.
“My body feels better than it did a few weeks ago so that’s positive,” said 31-year-old Murray of his Flushing Meadows campaign.
“I haven’t played one [a five-set match] so you don’t know until you get out there and do it. I played some long matches in Washington so that will help me.
“My expectation is to give my best effort in the matches and hopefully my tennis will get better. My tennis is getting better all the time.”
Murray, who has been seen as a potential champion ever since reaching his first Grand Slam final in New York in 2008, added: “It feels slightly different this one because for the last 10 years or so I’ve been coming and trying to prepare to win the event, whereas I don’t feel like that’s realistic for me this year. It’s a slightly different mentality. That feels a bit odd.
“I have great memories from New York overall from juniors to first slam final to then obviously winning my first grand slam here.I’m really, really pleased to be back. I’ll try to enjoy it as much as I can.”
