US Open 2022: Murray into third round for first time in six years, ‘Best I’ve felt in the last few years’

In the ten years since Andy Murray won his first Major in the Arthur Ashe arena, a lot of water has gone under Briton’s bridge.

He went go on to win three Majors, two Olympic golds, the ATP Finals, and enjoy months as world No1. But his story since those heady days is familiar to any followers of tennis and fans of the gritty, dedicated, much-admired Briton.

He faced such invasive hip surgery that there were doubts whether he would ever make it back on the pro tour. Wins had subsequently been hard to come by, hampered too by Covid infection and various niggling injuries. But this season, Murray had edged back to the top 50, and made two finals for the first time since his Antwerp title in 2019.

Of course, he continued to be unseeded at every tournament he played, but while his runs through the Montreal and Cincinnati Masters had not set the world alight, he had pulled off a few high-ranking scalps in recent months, and come through some demanding three-setter battles.

And he was accorded the privilege of opening play on Arthur Ashe, against a young American, for his second match in New York this year.

He had shown all his old quality, hard work and self-belief in winning his first match in against No24 seed Francisco Cerundolo, and in straight sets. Now he was aiming to reach the third round here for the first time since 2016, when he was a quarter-finalist.

It looked a reasonable prospect against the wild card 20-year-old ranked 203, Emilio Nava. The American had won just his first ever tour match in the first round this week over the experienced John Millman in five sets and four hours.

The contest would be a marathon right from the word go, with Nava facing break points in the first game, and many more in the fifth game. Locked at 2-2, that punishing game last almost a quarter of an hour: Nava finally held.

Five games down, after almost 40 minutes, and there had been plenty of high-quality rallies of penetrating ground-strokes, with each running the other to the extremes of the court.

Yet for all Murray’s break chances, it was Nava who converted first to break for 5-3. But sure enough, Murray extended the rallies, used all kinds of spin and changes of pace, and finally drew the error from his inexperienced opponent to break. With well over an hour played, he served to level at 5-5.

Nava had the gradually-filling Ashe arena on his side as he held to love, and then in yet another leg-busting game, he pulled off a stunning forehand winner to earn break and set-point. To convert the break, he slapped his 19th winner, a searing forehand pass, for the set, 7-5.

The set had lasted almost an hour and a half, and it had not even reached a tie-break conclusion. The big question was whether the 35-year-old Briton with the metal hip could live with the youngster who was playing such big, free-hitting tennis.

Now, though, Murray did turn the momentum in the second set to break in the fifth game and he consolidated for a 4-2 lead. In a tidier 40 or so minutes, he had the second set, 6-3, with Nava making more errors in this physical contest.

The third set saw Murray up his level again, and now in the kind of dominance that afforded himself more drop-shot winners and net finishes. Meanwhile, Nava was struggling to maintain his early intensity, was broken twice, and Murray served it out, 6-1.

The former champion was now charging the net more confidently, helped by wavering serve power from Nava. The match was running away from the young American, two breaks, 4-0. It had taken around the same time for Murray to win his three sets as it had taken the two men to battle through the first.

So with three hours on the clock, Murray served it out to love against the weary wild card, 6-0.

He again paid tribute to the presence of Ivan Lendl, back in Murray’s box this season for a third stint during Murray’s career:

“There’s a lot of belief in the relationship because of results we’ve had in the past. I trust that if I play with a game-style he wants me to, that will bring me success.”

And Murray was upbeat about how good he was feeling after two matches:

“Physically this is the best I’ve felt in the last few years. My movement is by far the best it’s been in a long time. I’m getting closer to where I want to be, and hopefully I can have a deep run here.”

But with the third-round sealed, making the second week will demand a significant step up again for Murray: No13 seed Matteo Berrettini, who was a semi-finalist at the US Open in 2019. The Italian took four sets to beat Hugo Grenier, but with some huge 136mph serving and 75 winners. He also beat Murray in three sets in the final of Stuttgart this summer.

Berrettini was one of four Italians in the second round, and the first into the third. On Tuesday, No11 seed Jannik Sinner had to come through a five-set marathon to beat Daniel Altmaier, 5-7, 6-2, 6-1, 3-6, 6-1, and then compatriot Lorenzo Musetti also survived a five-set battle against David Goffin, 3-6, 7-5, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(9).

And veteran Fabio Fognini completed the Italian five-setter hat-trick to beat Aslan Karatsev, 1-6, 5-7, 6-4, 6-1, 6-4. His reward? Rafael Nadal in Round 2.