Gutsy Andy Murray hoping for a day off before battle of the Brits

ATP Tour
Andy Murray reacts

Andy Murray admitted that he is hoping not to have to play on Tuesday after surviving a gruelling first round match against Stan Wawrinka in the first round of the Cincinnati Masters.

Murray battled through cramp to notch his first victory of the 2022 US Open season on Monday.

With a second round clash against current British No 1 Cameron Norrie lying in wait for Murray he has his fingers crossed for a kind order of play.

Murray now holds a 35-14 record in Cincinnati, having lifted the trophy in 2008 and 2011.

“I started to feel it a little bit in the second and struggled at the beginning of the third,” said Murray after the match.

“I tried to get as many electrolyte salts as possible and saw the physio a bit which helped.

“But I struggled with the cramps in Washington against [Mikael] Ymer and again today so I need to get on top of that.

“I don’t know if we play tomorrow, I’m hoping there’s a day off. I’ll go and ask for one now if not!”

Murray was visibly drained after a taxing match in hot conditions but recognised that he needs to be aggressive to make his game work on the hard courts.

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“The court is pretty lively when the weather is like this. Physically I feel tired,” Murray said in his on-court interview.

“I had some issues with cramp during the match, the same as Washington, so that is something I need to get on top of.

“I tried to take the ball on a little more and finish points at the net. I wasn’t that successful when I came up, but the intention was there. I was a little more offensive on the second-serve return. Last game I was just fighting, trying to find a way through.”

Murray believes his match against Norrie will be an indicator of where he stands in his US Open preparation.

“Cam’s had a brilliant year or last 18 months,” said Murray.

“He’s been playing top level tennis, very very consistently.

“It will be a big test and a great match for me going into the US Open.

“He is very different to how Stan plays, being a lefty,” Murray added.

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“Flat on the backhand, heavy topspin on the forehand.

“We have spent a little bit of time on the court together, so there won’t be many surprises out there for me.”

Norrie showed both grit and quality in battling past Holger Rune 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-4.

Rune surprised Norrie with his powerful groundstrokes but the Brit was able to turn the tide with his aggressive forehand.

Murray’s win set up just the second clash between the two Brits with the previous encounter going to the Scot in Beijing back in 2019.

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Norrie has won two titles this year and reached his first Grand Slam semi-final at Wimbledon last month.

Murray has had a frustrating time trying to get back into the swing of the tour as injuries have hampered his progress, however championship match appearances in Sydney and Stuttgart suggest he still has plenty to offer.

Andy Murray Cameron Norrie

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