Murray gets over ‘tricky one’ to book third-round spot
Murray overcame Llodra 6-4 1-6 7-5 7-6 (9/7) in a tense and exciting match at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre. Murray now faces world number 48 Jurgen Melzer of Austria, who trounced Jiri Vanek of the Czech Republic 6-0 6-2 6-2 in the first match of the day on court 10.
Murray said: “He is such a tricky guy to play against, he is very good at the net. It was a tricky match and I knew it was going to be tough but I am glad I came through.”
Meanwhile, Venus Williams cruised into the US Open third round and declared it was high time she added to her two singles titles at Flushing Meadows.
Williams has been the undisputed queen of Wimbledon in recent years, picking up her fifth grass court grand slam title and a second in a row earlier this summer.
Yet the 28-year-old has not won her own national championship since going back-to-back in 2000 and 2001.
After demolishing Paraguayan qualifier Rossanna De Los Rios 6-0 6-3 last night in 59 minutes, the seventh seed agreed that her US Open success was by now a distant recollection.
“Oh, yes, I remember,” Williams said. “I won’t forget, but I’d like to have a more recent memory as of like ‘08. That’s pretty much the goal. I guess, kind of overdue, got to win it to deserve it.”
Williams said she was satisfied by her performance against De Los Rios, the 113th-ranked player in the world but that her rival had made life a little more difficult than the scoreline suggested.
“Well, yeah, pretty happy,” she said. “I think I just had a lot more power than she did today. She plays a game where she hits a lot of high balls, which at my height (6ft 1in) doesn’t, you know — I think it would be effective against a lot of players, but with my height and my reach, it doesn’t faze me as much.”
Looking to win a second major of the year but with younger sister Serena seeded fourth and in her quarter of the draw, the injury-prone Williams said she was physically in as good a shape as she had been at Wimbledon, when she defeated her sibling in the final.
“I feel great. I love Wimbledon, obviously, but I still feel very confident,” she added.
“Obviously winning Wimbledon makes you confident, so I don’t have any complaints.
“Whichever way the draw goes, whichever way the matches go, as long as hopefully it’s a win for me, I’m pretty happy about it.
“I’m very satisfied so far the way it’s gone.”
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