“Andy Murray at the 2013 US Open” (CC BY 2.0) by Boss Tweed
It has been a brilliant year so far for Andy Murray. The British star has reached the final of all three Grand Slam events this year; losing to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open and French Open before claiming victory over Canadian Milos Raonic in the final at Wimbledon in July. On his day, Murray is perhaps the only player that can consistently compete with world number one Djokovic and it is refreshing to see somebody oust the Serbian after a brief era of dominance.
Can Andy Murray win the US Open this year? With this Grand Slam event fast approaching, Murray has the chance to cap off a fine year with yet another major success – his second of the year and fourth overall. At the time of writing, the 29-year-old is 3/1 to win the tournament with Betway and punters may be tempted to back Murray after his excellent season. To be fair to the Scot, he has been pushing for a Grand Slam victory or two in recent years but has always failed to cope with an imperious Djokovic. If anyone deserves to win another Grand Slam title, it is Andy Murray.
After winning Wimbledon, Murray is now targeting Novak Djokovic’s spot at the top of the world rankings. Victory at the US Open would certainly help his chances of climbing above the Serbian but he will need Djokovic to suffer another embarrassing early exit to stand any chance of finishing 2016 as the world number one. Djokovic was well beaten by American Sam Querrey in the third round at Wimbledon – a defeat that paved the way for Murray to win the competition.
In July, Roger Federer announced that he would be missing both the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and the US Open. Whilst this news is disappointing for the tennis world, it is excellent for Murray’s title aspirations. With Federer ruled out, the British star may have a much easier route to the final – especially as he will be on the other side of the draw to Djokovic. Once again, Murray will be hoping for help from one of the lower seeds as he looks to claim a fourth Grand Slam crown.
Greg Rusedski just told @5liveSport that Djokovic is catchable for Murray.
‘I think Murray can win the US Open and will be No.1 in 2017.’
— DavidLaw (@DavidLawTennis) July 10, 2016
Murray is by far and away the main challenger to Djokovic’s dominance at the top of the sport – in fact, he might be the only challenger. When he’s good, he’s very good. In fact, he is almost unbeatable and Murray will have to be at his very best to stand any chance of toppling the Serbian. Djokovic is closing in on Federer’s all-time record of 17 Grand Slam titles but Murray could put yet another spanner in the works with victory at the US Open. After all, he has shown that he can beat Djokovic in the past; albeit on the grass court.
With less than one month until the competition gets underway, Murray will be full of confidence and raring to go after his latest success at Wimbledon. The British number one has developed as a player and now has the mental strength to cope with his demons and go all the way at Grand Slam events. It won’t be easy but a fourth US Open final is on the cards for Murray and a fourth major title could follow if he performs at his best…