Serena Williams sent a tremor of concern through the US Open when she pulled out of a press conference days before her opening match on Monday against the unseeded Pole Magda Linette, advising organisers she felt “under the weather” – but at least Andy Murray is still in the draw.
Outside the seedings at a major for the first time in 12 years and ranked 378 in the world as he grinds his way back from hip surgery, Murray does not think he can win the tournament where he made his breakthrough six years ago. His opponent on Monday is the Australian James Duckworth, who is 67 places below him in the rankings.
Almost a year to the day after pulling out of last year’s Open Murray said on Friday: “This one feels slightly different because, for the last 10, 11 years, I have been preparing to try and win the event. I don’t think that is realistic for me this year.”
Williams, who surprised everyone but herself by reaching the Wimbledon final this summer in only her second grand slam tournament since a traumatic childbirth last September, was smiling and relaxed during practice on Thursday but did not, apparently, feel up to fulfilling media obligations 24 hours later. It was easy to sympathise, given the shambles of an all-day rolling press conference conducted like a bank holiday weekend puppet show on the court of the newly roofed Louis Armstrong Stadium.
She is expected to play – although it was uncertain whether or not the USTA would follow the bizarre ruling of the French federation, which has banned her from wearing the black catsuit she needed to contain the muscle spasms that plagued her after her emergency caesarean section.
Virginia Wade, who has lived in New York for several years and won the title here in 1968, said of Williams: “It would be phenomenal if she could get herself to win this tournament. Absolutely phenomenal. It would be a worthy win for somebody who has done so well and is such an icon. I think she’s still got a way to go to get herself into fitness, and she’s got a lousy draw [her sister, Venus, probably in the third round, before No1 seed Simona Halep]. If she had a few more comfortable matches, and she didn’t waste too much energy in them, I think she could do it.”
Murray’s hip, meanwhile, seems to be in working order, although he remains cautious about his fitness to survive back-to-back five-setters. As he pointed out: “I haven’t played one [since losing in the Wimbledon quarter-finals last year to Sam Querrey], so you don’t know until you actually get out there and do it.”
He added: “I played some long matches in Washington [where he retired from the tournament after winning three times, twice way after midnight]. They were all over two and a half hours, and a three-hour match. Three of them in four days. The benefit of the slams is having that day off to recover in between, which will help me.”
Certainly his demeanour was better than on the day he pulled out of Wimbledon this year, having given every indication he was ready. He also withdrew from the Rogers Cup in Canada after Washington, then went out in three sets in the first round of the Cincinnati Open last week.
“I went to Philadelphia [after Cincinnati], did a bit of training there, more gym-based. I was on the court every day, quite light practices. I got here and the last few days practised for a couple of hours each day. My tennis has been a bit stop-start. After Washington I took a few days off the court, then built back up again.”
Murray has not played Duckworth, a talented player who has had his share of injury setbacks and is in the tournament after the late withdrawal of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. If Murray is anywhere near the level he showed when losing a tough three-setter at Queens to Nick Kyrgios, then beating Stan Wawrinka and losing to Kyle Edmund at Eastbourne, he should progress to the second round.
He would then play either Feliciano López or Fernando Verdasco. Juan Martín del Potro is his likely opponent in the third round. The Argentinian, who won here in 2009, said on Friday: “I’m in good shape. As everybody knows, this is my favourite tournament on tour. I have big expectations playing in New York.”
Del Potro, the third seed, will have higher expectations than Murray, although the British player has the memory of a titanic Olympic final win over him on which to draw.
Murray does not see the status quo changing much this year. Rafael Nadal returns after skipping Cincinnati, where the second seed, Roger Federer, reached the final, losing to Novak Djokovic, who looks almost back to his best. Djokovic and Murray quit the 2017 season on the same day at Wimbledon but the Serb’s elbow injury looks to have healed far more quickly.
Asked if he took comfort from the return of Djokovic, Nadal and Federer from various health problems, Murray said: “All injuries are completely different. Some are more serious than others. Someone is out for a few weeks with a muscle injury. It’s very different to somebody recovering from a surgery on certain parts of the body. It’s notoriously more difficult.
“I haven’t really looked at them so much as an inspiration for a comeback. I’m trying to deal with the situation that I’ve been in as best as I can myself.
“But I do feel that, once my body is right again – which takes time when you haven’t played many matches in a year – I’m sure that my level will be OK to get me competing at the top of the game again.”
Meanwhile, Heather Watson beat Katie Swan 6-2, 6-4 to join Johanna Konta in the women’s draw at Flushing Meadows. The last two British hopefuls in qualifying found themselves up against each other and experience won out, with Watson defeating 19-year-old Swan in an hour and 14 minutes. Having not won a match at Flushing Meadows since lifting the junior title in 2009, Watson has now claimed three victories in a row.
