Andy Murray Set For US Open Final Against Novak Djokovic
Britain’s Andy Murray says winning gold at the Olympics has given him the confidence to win a Grand Slam title.
Murray, 25, will play reigning champion Novak Djokovic – an opponent he beat in straight sets at the Olympics – at 21:00 BST in Monday’s US Open final.
“Winning against him in the Olympic semi-final was a big win for me,” said the third seed, who will be playing in his fifth Grand Slam final.
The last male British Grand Slam champion was Fred Perry in 1936.
Murray must beat a rival who has not lost in a hard-court match at a major tournament since the US Open final in 2010.
Second seed Djokovic is bidding for a sixth major title and has beaten Murray in eight of their 14 matches, but the pair are tied at two wins apiece in this year’s encounters.
Djokovic, competing in his third consecutive final at Flushing Meadows, convincingly beat the Briton at last year’s Australian Open – their only Grand Slam final match – although Murray gained revenge by defeating the second seed 7-5 7-5 in this summer’s Olympic semi-final.
“I know how tough it is to beat the top, top players in big matches,” said Murray, who has now reached two finals in New York and is the only British man other than Perry to reach multiple US Open finals.
“Obviously it will be an unbelievably tough match. He moves very well on the hard courts. He’s a top, top player, one of the best players that’s played. The year he had last year is incredible.”
Murray enjoyed an extra day’s rest after his semi-final victory over Tomas Berdych on Saturday, while Djokovic had to complete his delayed semi-final against David Ferrer on Sunday.
Both came through their last four clashes in four sets, but the 25-year-old five-time Grand Slam champion has dropped just the one set on his way to the final.
Wimbledon finalist Murray admitted he had not hit top form yet in New York but said he would “give everything” to beat his childhood friend.
“Winning the Olympics did, for me, take a bit of the pressure off. I did feel a lot better after that. I maybe had less doubts about myself and my place in the game just now,” said the world number three.
“But winning a major is the last thing that I really want to achieve.
“It means a lot to me. You saw at Wimbledon how much that meant to me. It’s obviously not easy to lose another slam final, so I hope this one is a different story.
“I know that on Monday that I’m going to give everything I have on the court. That’s all I can do.
“I’ve not necessarily played my best tennis this week but I’ve just fought hard in all of the matches and found a way to come through them and I’ll do the same again in the final.”
BBC
