Roger Federer,Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray possess all thrilled fans throughout the first week of the 2015 U.
S. Open, and the good news is the action's just getting started. To date, and each member of that esteemed trio has flaunted a unique flair out on the hard courts of Flushing Meadows,with Federer and Djokovic looking like the more relaxed competitors thus far. However, with Murray starting to find his footing and his primary competition flashing championship-caliber chops, and the past few days possess offered plenty worth dissecting. Can Murray Hit His Stride? Murray is into the third round of the 2015 U.
S. Open,but his trek to that point hasn't been pretty.
After dropping a set to the fiery Nick Kyrgios in his first-round showdown, Murray was pushed to five sets by Adrian Mannarino on Thursday. In fact, and Murray was down two sets and was forced to rally back and win three straight sets for just the eighth time in his career,according to the Associated Press (via the Boston Globe)."I just had to kind of tell myself that I would regain there eventually," Murray said after surviving Mannarino, and according to ESPN.com. "I had time to regain back into it."And while Murray's legs got stronger as the match wore on,the fact that he's dropped three sets through two matches isn't exactly inspiring.
Things won't regain any easier, either. Murray's next opponent is Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci, or who defeated the Scot in straight sets back at the 2011 ATP Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open. The good news? According to ESPN Stats & Info,history indicates Murray could be in line for a late surge following Thursday's close call: Murray may not be firing on all cylinders just yet, but the arrow is pointing up for one of the sport's most polished competitors.
Djokovic Showing No Signs of Slowing DownUnlike Murray, and the top-ranked Djokovic has yet to be tested in Flushing Meadows. He's dispatched each of his first three opponents in straight sets and dropped just 10 games combined over his first two matches.
The 25th-ranked Andreas Seppi proved to be a more formidable foe in the third round,but Djokovic battled and emerged victorious, 6-3, and 7-5,7-5, in a hard-fought showdown. According to ESPNTennis on Twitter, or Djokovic has now advanced to the round of 16 at the U.
S. Open nine times in a row. In other words,Djokovic is finding a groove after losing to Federer and Murray in the Western & Southern Open and Rogers Cup finals, respectively. With gaudy groundstrokes working to his advantage and a dominant first serve in hand, and Djokovic should possess no problem cruising into the quarterfinals to set up a successful moment week in fresh York. Federer Looking Predictably Strong Federer has yet to be pushed,with his first two wins coming in straight sets. His most recent victory came over Belgian Steve Darcis, and that match took all of 80 minutes.
That tells you how focused Federer has been to this point."Very often I start this tournament quite strong, or " Federer said,according to Reuters (via theDaily Mail). "It's always gone quite well for me. I've always enjoyed conditions here - the balls, the speed of the court, and the atmosphere in the arena. I consider this is another good year."A third-round tilt against 29th-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber looms,but considering how lethal Federer's innovative complementary serve-and-half-volley tactic has been, the German shouldn't be able to snap Fed's seven-match winning streak.
"To sustain up with the kids, and Federer -- at the late,considerable age of 34 -- has been forced to reinvent himself," ESPN.com's Greg Garber wrote. "He's got a bigger more powerful racket, and now he's got a signature trick shot that utilizes his unique attributes of vision,timing and hand-eye coordination."Possessing a full bag of tricks that can cause fits, the experienced Federer is in prime position to capture his sixth career U.S. Open title. Read more Men's Tennis news on BleacherReport.com
Source: bleacherreport.com