Murray aiming to peak on cue

Andy Murray is preparing for a long, tough campaign at the US Open and expecting a bumpy ride from a tough draw at Flushing Meadows.

The British world number two and second seed for the final grand slam of the year has been handed a difficult route to reach the final for the second year in a row.

Drawn again in the same half of the championship bracket with Rafael Nadal, whom he beat in last year’s semi-final, Murray is once more destined for a last-four meeting with the Spaniard if he is to set up a rematch of last year’s decider with top seed and five-time defending champion Roger Federer.

Long before that, the 22-year-old Scot must face some difficult opponents, starting with Latvia’s Ernests Gulbis in the first round on Tuesday, whom he beat in the second round at Wimbledon with potential meetings ahead including Croatia’s 6ft 10ins Ivo Karlovic in the third round, and Argentine sixth seed Juan Martin del Potro in the quarter-finals.

That is nothing Murray did not expect, though, as he bids to arrive at the business end of the championships in the best possible form.

“Once you get to the end of the slams, you need to raise your game, make sure you’re playing great tennis,” Murray said.