Something I hate more than anything as a sports fan (apart from drug taking) is the undermining of Major Sporting events. For me no sport deserves anymore coverage than another. This week if some of you didn't know the US Open Tennis at Flushing Medows has started where Roger Federer is out to break another one of Bjorn Borg's records and win 5 consecutive US open championships.
I know everyone was glued to Wimbledon to see whether Federer could be overhauled on his favourite patch, and we saw that Rafael Nadal came through a thrilling five setter to take his fifth Major title. This event however for me is more significant. It will give us an idea whether Federer's loss at Wimbledon was a blip, or the beginning of the Spanish Armada. Unfortunately Federer has very little room for error only a win will stop the critics raining down on the now former world number 1.
Nadal going on recent form is the clear favourite, the now Olympic Gold Medalist is surging towards the end of the year which could end with a US Open win, a Masters Series victory in Shanghai and finishing the year as world number one. Success that we all knew had the potential of happening, but seeing it happen would be something else.
All eyes will also be on Andy Murray who at World Number six is at his highest ranking and with that comes the expectation of success in the major tournament. It doesn't come bigger than the US Open an event Murray calls his favourite.
The draw that had been put infront of Murray is one that should see him past his lowest expected finish, the quarter-final. David Ferrer will be the man who will stand in Murray's way to his first ever Grand Slam semi-final where none other than Roger Federer will stand in his way there. So why on earth can Murray not reach the final, just like Greg Rudeski in 1997. Well is he really ready for the step up. Yes his win over Richard Gasquet at Wimbledon shows he has stepped up as a tennis player, but the Olympic games showed that he still has plenty to learn, it might be getting through the preliminary rounds that Murray might find the most difficult part. Complacency is still an issue with the 21 year-old.
With a World ranking of six a quarter-final place will be the minimum expected of Murray any further would be a huge achievement. I'm not sure we should be expecting the Scot to reach Grand Slam semi-finals just like that.
So as much as we would like to think Murray is on course for a real push at the grand slam we should just sit back as think the best is yet to come and that we shouldn't want to much to soon.
Being Cheeky
12 years ago
1 comment:
i agree with the fact people are expecting Murray to do far more than he is capable of. He showed at the Olympics that he is still a rookie in terms of experience in tennis. He has matured a lot recently but still needs to get his head down and push on.
One plus was Keothavongs performance, i thought she did well. It is refreshing to see a woman coming through who has the potential to be a good top 30 player. We have girls like cavaday, baltacha and obrien but they never seem to do anything...
on the point of federer ur shhhhpppotttttt on when you say this tournament will determine whether wimbledon was a minor blip in a 4 or 5 year reign where there has only been one man...feder himself
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