This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/sep/01/us-open-andy-murray-jo-wilfried-tsonga-novak-djokovic-match-report
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| US Open 2014: Andy Murray turns on style to beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga | US Open 2014: Andy Murray turns on style to beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga |
| (1 day later) | |
| If Andy Murray is to win the US Open, he will have to do to Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals on Wednesday what he did to him in the final two years ago: break his heart. On the evidence of their contrasting wins in the fourth round on Monday that is not a sound betting proposition although, if the Scot can draw on his considerable store of perversity, he could surprise us all. | If Andy Murray is to win the US Open, he will have to do to Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals on Wednesday what he did to him in the final two years ago: break his heart. On the evidence of their contrasting wins in the fourth round on Monday that is not a sound betting proposition although, if the Scot can draw on his considerable store of perversity, he could surprise us all. |
| A couple of hours after Djokovic had methodically dismantled the stubborn resistance of Philipp Kohlschreiber in straight sets, the 2012 champion was making slightly harder work of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the late-afternoon heat on Arthur Ashe. He won 7-5, 7-5, 6-4 in two hours and 25 minutes – about 20 minutes longer than it took Djokovic to beat the German 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 on Louis Armstrong, the court Murray regards as some malign architectural plot against his expansive running game. At least from this point on he will be on the main court. If that journey is to last beyond his 21st match against the world No 1 (he trails Djokovic 8-12), he should be reaching championship pitch. | A couple of hours after Djokovic had methodically dismantled the stubborn resistance of Philipp Kohlschreiber in straight sets, the 2012 champion was making slightly harder work of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the late-afternoon heat on Arthur Ashe. He won 7-5, 7-5, 6-4 in two hours and 25 minutes – about 20 minutes longer than it took Djokovic to beat the German 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 on Louis Armstrong, the court Murray regards as some malign architectural plot against his expansive running game. At least from this point on he will be on the main court. If that journey is to last beyond his 21st match against the world No 1 (he trails Djokovic 8-12), he should be reaching championship pitch. |
| Murray was subdued but reasonably satisfied with his performance. “I don’t feel like I’m that far away from playing my best tennis,” he said. “It’s still a long way from trying to win the tournament: nine sets now, three matches, and just try and take it one set at a time. I’m maybe five, six days away from potentially winning another grand slam. I know there is a lot of work to be done between now and then.” | Murray was subdued but reasonably satisfied with his performance. “I don’t feel like I’m that far away from playing my best tennis,” he said. “It’s still a long way from trying to win the tournament: nine sets now, three matches, and just try and take it one set at a time. I’m maybe five, six days away from potentially winning another grand slam. I know there is a lot of work to be done between now and then.” |
| As a veteran American tennis writer said on the way out of the press conference, “He always talks as if he’s got his toe caught in a mangle. He should learn to enjoy these moments.” That has never been the deal. The joy is for later; right now, he is in the middle of his shift. | As a veteran American tennis writer said on the way out of the press conference, “He always talks as if he’s got his toe caught in a mangle. He should learn to enjoy these moments.” That has never been the deal. The joy is for later; right now, he is in the middle of his shift. |
| As for Tsonga, the ninth seedexplained his erratic tennis simply: “Tennis is never a straight line. Maybe today the line was like this [indicating a dip] at the wrong moment. But it was still pretty good tennis.” | As for Tsonga, the ninth seedexplained his erratic tennis simply: “Tennis is never a straight line. Maybe today the line was like this [indicating a dip] at the wrong moment. But it was still pretty good tennis.” |
| Murray, of course, had much to do with Tsonga’s dilemma, selecting the slumps in the Frenchman’s energy to strike hard in each set. While this was not the Murray of 2012 – or Wimbledon 2013, when he was similarly tough in the final against Djokovic – he will take consolation from the fact that he added consistency to his tennis, something that was palpably missing in his first-round match against Robin Haase and on Sunday against Andrey Kuznetsov, when he dropped a set each time. | Murray, of course, had much to do with Tsonga’s dilemma, selecting the slumps in the Frenchman’s energy to strike hard in each set. While this was not the Murray of 2012 – or Wimbledon 2013, when he was similarly tough in the final against Djokovic – he will take consolation from the fact that he added consistency to his tennis, something that was palpably missing in his first-round match against Robin Haase and on Sunday against Andrey Kuznetsov, when he dropped a set each time. |
| This was closer to the performance he put in on Ashe on Thursday night – his favourite venue and time of day – against Matthias Bachinger. He was near flawless then, less so here, but there were encouraging signs he is getting sharper all round. | This was closer to the performance he put in on Ashe on Thursday night – his favourite venue and time of day – against Matthias Bachinger. He was near flawless then, less so here, but there were encouraging signs he is getting sharper all round. |
| Murray continues to make a good friend of the net. Against Haase he won 25 of 39 visits; in the second round against Bachinger he upped his percentage with 22 successful raids from 26; against Kuznetsov, it was 29 from 33; and on Monday he kept Tsonga guessing with his forward rushes, winning 28 of 31 net points. | Murray continues to make a good friend of the net. Against Haase he won 25 of 39 visits; in the second round against Bachinger he upped his percentage with 22 successful raids from 26; against Kuznetsov, it was 29 from 33; and on Monday he kept Tsonga guessing with his forward rushes, winning 28 of 31 net points. |
| The most emphatic of those was the backhand volley to take the first set, struck with thunder after pinning Tsonga deep with an equally firm forehand. When Murray plays like this he is irresistible. There was evidence of it in patches thereafter but he owed his win to stickability and doggedness, looking particularly spent after winning the second set. The third saw Tsonga’s game fall slowly to pieces, with two double faults in his final service game a sad sign-off to a tournament in which he has occasionally looked magnificent. | The most emphatic of those was the backhand volley to take the first set, struck with thunder after pinning Tsonga deep with an equally firm forehand. When Murray plays like this he is irresistible. There was evidence of it in patches thereafter but he owed his win to stickability and doggedness, looking particularly spent after winning the second set. The third saw Tsonga’s game fall slowly to pieces, with two double faults in his final service game a sad sign-off to a tournament in which he has occasionally looked magnificent. |
| There have been passages of brilliance in the first eight days here when Djokovic has looked as good as he did in that long, unbeaten run in 2011, and he produced enough of them to beat Kohlschreiber with plenty to spare. | There have been passages of brilliance in the first eight days here when Djokovic has looked as good as he did in that long, unbeaten run in 2011, and he produced enough of them to beat Kohlschreiber with plenty to spare. |
| The German, good as he can be on his best day, was only occasionally at the Serb’s level in stifling conditions. “It was very humid for both of us,” Djokovic said, “with a lot of long rallies, especially in the second and third. It could have gone either way, especially in the second set.” That hardly told the story of Djokovic’s excellent serving (six aces, no double faults, 78 per cent winning points on first serve, 68 on second), or his low unforced error count of 19. | The German, good as he can be on his best day, was only occasionally at the Serb’s level in stifling conditions. “It was very humid for both of us,” Djokovic said, “with a lot of long rallies, especially in the second and third. It could have gone either way, especially in the second set.” That hardly told the story of Djokovic’s excellent serving (six aces, no double faults, 78 per cent winning points on first serve, 68 on second), or his low unforced error count of 19. |
| “It’s great that I have been playing some really good tennis, really high quality so far,” he said. “But it’s normal to expect that I’m going to have tougher opponents as the tournament goes on. A quarter-final against Murray, it’s a very tough draw.” | “It’s great that I have been playing some really good tennis, really high quality so far,” he said. “But it’s normal to expect that I’m going to have tougher opponents as the tournament goes on. A quarter-final against Murray, it’s a very tough draw.” |
| He is in the quarter-finals for the eighth year in a row – and 22nd consecutively in majors since Ernests Gulbis put him out in the third round at Roland Garros four years ago. But he hungers for more than lower-level statistics. What he wants is success where it matters, on the final day. | He is in the quarter-finals for the eighth year in a row – and 22nd consecutively in majors since Ernests Gulbis put him out in the third round at Roland Garros four years ago. But he hungers for more than lower-level statistics. What he wants is success where it matters, on the final day. |
| He has won the title once in four consecutive finals, beating Rafael Nadal in a classic match three years ago. But what has consumed Djokovic at what should be the peak of his career has been his inability regularly to find the game with which he first challenged the hegemony of Roger Federer and Nadal. He won five of his first seven finals in majors, then lost five of his next six. | He has won the title once in four consecutive finals, beating Rafael Nadal in a classic match three years ago. But what has consumed Djokovic at what should be the peak of his career has been his inability regularly to find the game with which he first challenged the hegemony of Roger Federer and Nadal. He won five of his first seven finals in majors, then lost five of his next six. |
| However, in putting away Sam Querrey, Paul-Henri Matthieu and Diego Schwartzman in the first week here he did not lose a set, was broken only four times and converted 21 of 36 break points. Against Kohlschreiber he saved the only two break points against him. | |
| He looks ready to do some damage. | He looks ready to do some damage. |
| • This article was amended on 2 September 2014. An earlier version said that in the first week at Flushing Meadows Djokovic did not drop serve. That should have been he did not lose a set. |