Andy Murray is right to point out that doubts over Novak Djokovic’s fitness – leaving aside the Serb’s revelation that his private life has been in turmoil – will have no effect on his own progress through the draw at this US Open.
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.
Although he would savour the challenge, there is nobody Murray would less like to play if he were to emerge triumphant than the man who has beaten him 24 times out of 34, including 15 from 19 since the Scot won the final here against him four years ago.
As for Djokovic’s troublesome wrist, Murray sees it this way: “I’ve had a long summer as well. My body is not fresh and my body is not perfect either. I’ve played a lot.
“Often it’s been the case at the US Open that guys at this stage of this year are fatigued, especially ones who have been competing for the majors throughout the year. This year is the same and we will see on Monday if Novak’s wrist is fine. I am sure he wouldn’t be risking it if it was bad.
“Also, he is coming in fresh because he has not played loads the last few weeks. My advantage is that I have played a lot of matches and am coming in with the confidence of that knowing that physically I am in good shape. I don’t see this as any more of an opportunity than any of the other slams.”
However, if the world No1 were to struggle in his opening match against Jerzy Janowicz on Monday because of his injured left wrist, there is a distinct possibility he would consider withdrawing from the tournament. After the draw on Friday, he did not exactly ooze confidence.
Djokovic, who has dipped from his normally stratospheric level since going out in the third round at Wimbledon, knows he is the obvious target for several desperate carnivores on his side of the draw, chiefly Rafael Nadal and the Wimbledon finalist, Milos Raonic.
Yet on Friday he made what seemed to be a howling strategic error when he said that, after electro-magnetic treatment to ease the pain in his wrist, it was tougher for him now to hit backhands. This was either an unwitting invitation to opponents to test him on that wing or he was indulging in the sort of mind games that so spooked Murray in successive Australian Open finals.
Murray is aware that if Nadal were to beat or extend a wounded and uncertain Djokovic in the quarter-finals or Raonic were to finish the job in the semis, that the Spaniard and the Canadian have ambitions of their own. Neither of them would be a pushover. While he did a number on Raonic in the Wimbledon final and he and Nadal have split a pair of matches on clay this year, Murray pays them the utmost respect.
He opens on Tuesday against the volatile Czech Lukas Rosol, one-time conqueror of Nadal at Wimbledon, and, at 31, more difficult to overcome than his world ranking of 82 would suggest. There is the added distraction of their handbaggery in Munich last year, when Murray told Rosol after they had a minor collision on a changeover, “No one likes you on the tour. Everyone hates you.”
As a sledge, it was sub-Kyrgios, and Murray insists they have settled their differences. He is more focused on the wonderful vein of form he has mined all year and conscious that he is within reach of making his fourth slam final of the year.
“That would be big for sure,” he said. “It’s not something that happens regularly. But, because of the guys who have been around just now, again it seems to have happened a lot. It’s not an easy thing to do nowadays with three different surfaces and the conditions here and in Australia being quite different in terms of how the court plays.
“It’s a big challenge, but I do feel like I am in the position to have a good run here. I am not thinking about that right now. I’ve got a tough first match and I’ll be ready for that.”
There is another prize on offer for the Wimbledon and Olympic champion: finishing the year at No 1 ahead of Djokovic. Murray says it is not an immediate goal and he will not let the prospect distract him.
“Trying to get to No1 is a goal of all of the guys at the top. I would love to get to No1, but it’s more of a long-term thing. I don’t look at that on a week-to-week basis, it’s something that you have to take a longer term view of and, if you look at the year as a whole and even beyond that, for me March or April time is a more realistic chance than doing it this year.
“I need to continue what I’m doing, the consistency I’ve had the last few months. A lot of times that would have been enough to get to No1 but not now, because of how great Novak’s been.
“I need to try to maintain this consistency every single week and this tournament’s no different.”
