DPA/New York
Andy Murray is not rushing for results as his fresh coaching relationship with former French grand slam winner Amelie Mauresmo takes time to develop.
Like the wine collection Mauresmo keeps at home in Geneva, Murray fully expects the go through a lengthy maturation process before seeing any dramatic results after taking on Mauresmo in early June.
The Scot managed to reach the second week in New York despite a worrying wobble in his 6-1, 7-5, 4-6, 6-2 defeat of Russian Andrey Kuznetsov.
But after being stricken in his opening match with unexplained cramping, Murray was pleased to through to the fourth round with relative good fitness.
“I think it takes longer than just a couple months. I said the same thing with (former coach) Ivan (Lendl),” said Murray, “I think it takes five, six months before you can really change much.
“Since Wimbledon we’ve only had actually two weeks of practice, and practice is really where you can start to make changes to your game if there’s things you want to improve. The way the tennis season works you obviously train a couple of weeks, then you have tournaments.
“It will be nice by the end of this year, we’ll have had a few more practice weeks, and then also the off-season where you can spend three weeks, three or four weeks, together. So I would hope you’d start to see some changes.”
Murray’s grand plan might be subject to reality after he signed on to play in the new Asian off-season league, with the big-money series likely taking a big chunk out of any November-December training time.
Murray says his ultimate goal is full fitness and form by the Australian Open in January, which would be 16 months since he underwent back surgery last September.
Groth run down by Federer
Try as he could, Australian Sam Groth could not help himself as he was chewed by Roger Federer in another command night-time performance at the US Open. The defeat left the burly Groth on the sidelines and Federer on the march towards a possible sixth title.
The Aussie took the inevitable defeat in his stride, watching as his big serve was dismantled by the silky Swiss. “Groth’s bigger problems was trying not to become lost amid the hype.
“To be honest, for me, I was trying not to get caught up in the whole Roger act out there. You walk out, you get a few cheers. He walks out and the crowd goes ballistic. So from the word go you know he’s there.
“I was honestly just trying to focus on what I was doing. If I go out there and I worry too much about what he’s doing, especially the way I play, I’m not trying to grind a guy down.”
While Groth made the effort, he eventually ended up as just another victim after two hours.
“Federer has an aura because of how good his tennis is, there’s an aura because of what he’s done. You don’t win 17 Grand Slams if your tennis is not that good. I knew I was playing Roger Federer. I was pretty nervous probably all day.
“Once I got out there, I felt okay. I wasn’t shaking. I didn’t feel nervous. Not because of the situation, not because it’s Roger. His record is unbelievable.”
Groth, ranked 104, ends his grand slam season with three wins from four events. But at least he went out on a big stage.
“This is the biggest stadium you can play on and it’s a packed house.
It’s a dream come true to play on a stadium like this.”
Andy Murrays coach Amelie Mauresmo watches him play against Andrey Kuznetsov of Russia at the US Open on Saturday.
