Andy Murray’s latest bid to end Britain’s long wait for a Grand Slam champion gets under way today when he begins his U.S. Open campaign against Slovakia’s Lukas Lacko.
It has been 74 years since a British man last won a Grand Slam singles title, but Murray has raised hopes in his homeland after making the U.S. Open final in 2008 and the Australian Open final this year. Murray has been the form player leading into the last Grand Slam of the year, winning the Cincinnati Masters and finishing the U.S. hardcourt series as the leading point-scorer. If he wins the U.S. Open, he will pocket a $1 million cash bonus.
“Nothing drastic has to change,” the fourth seed said before the tournament. “I just need to play my best tennis for the whole two weeks and hopefully I can do that here.”
Murray’s known stateside as the “other” Andy, referring to Andy Roddick. The Brit, though, has outplayed the ninth-seeded American this season and owns a career 6-3 record against him. Both players are their respective country’s only true male singles Slam threat and share a great deal of celebrity life off the court via their high-profile relationships, but they each have shrugged off the comparisons.
“I’m sure he’s the ‘other’ Andy to some people over [in Britain],” Murray said. “I?always want to be the only Andy to win.”
Roddick also plays today in a second-round match against Serbia’s Janko Tipsarevic. Kim Clijsters and Venus Williams highlight the women’s draw.
