Andy Murray's four years of difficulty at the US Open
It remains to be seen how his hip holds up amid heavy practice as he aims to end his Flushing Meadows drought
Sunday 27 August 2017 11:23, UK
Andy Murray has struggled to challenge in the latter stages of the US Open since winning it in 2012. What's gone wrong?
After defeating Novak Djokovic in stunning fashion five years ago in New York, the Scot has found life difficult on the acrylic hard courts which favour his style.
He heads into the tournament this year having already lost his number one ranking to Rafael Nadal, having not played since his Wimbledon quarter-final loss to Sam Querrey.
Murray has been dealing with a hip injury and has missed recent events in Montreal and Cincinnati as a result, but can he rediscover his form and end the Grand Slam season with a fourth career major?
Here, we look back at Murray's progress in New York since he first lifted the trophy.
2013, quarter-finals
Murray's return to Flushing Meadows as the reigning champion ended limply against Stan Wawrinka, despite his landmark Wimbledon victory just months earlier.
His US Open campaign never really got up and running as he suffered from the understandable comedown of ending Britain's Wimbledon hoodoo.
He was expecting to be given a tough examination by Wawrinka, but few expected the Swiss to sail into his first Grand Slam semi-final in straight sets inside two-and-a-half hours.
The 6-4 6-3 6-2 result came amid an angry Murray failing to earn a single break point, and getting a code violation for smashing his racket. Wawrinka, meanwhile, lost in five sets to Novak Djokovic in the last four.
2014, quarter-finals
Murray matched Djokovic shot-for-shot for the majority of their last-eight clash, but lost. It was a match that summed up a period of Murray's career against the long-time world No 1.
The previous two matches between these players had been shared, but this 7-6 (7-1) 6-7 (1-7) 6-2 6-4 win for Djokovic was part of a nightmare run of form for Murray. It was the second in an eight-match losing streak against Djokovic, dating across more than two years.
It was a three-and-a-half hour battle, the sort of marathon that the rivals have been accustomed to, that ended past 1am New York time. But Murray, in a rematch of the 2012 final that he won, fell short this time.
2015, fourth round
This was Murray's worst US Open performance since claiming the Flushing Meadows title, when he couldn't answer the familiar question posed by a powerful server.
South Africa's Kevin Anderson blew the doors off Murray's usually impenetrable defence with a 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 6-7 (7-2) 7-6 (7-0) victory, blasting 25 aces in the process. The warning signs for Murray had been there - he needed to rally back from two sets down to beat Adrian Mannarino in the second round.
The below-par result against Anderson ended an impressive run of 18 consecutive Grand Slam quarter-finals for Murray. It was another catastrophic day on the US Open's Louis Armstrong court, a seemingly jinxed arena that Murray has traditionally struggled on over the years.
2016, quarter-finals
And so, a surprise last-eight defeat to Kei Nishikori continued Murray's arduous run at the US Open since breaking his Grand Slam duck.
The stadium sound system seemingly changed the course of the match with the Japanese star winning 1-6 6-4 4-6 6-1 7-5.
"We all saw how much he gave in Rio and how much that took out of him," said Sky Sports' Mark Petchey. "In some ways, he's been a victim of the schedule."
His summer was a clear success, overall - a second Wimbledon crown was swiftly followed by a second consecutive gold medal at the Olympics.
His campaign fell short, but he is back where it all began looking to claim another trophy where he will play in his 13th US Open.
The New York tournament has provided many firsts for the 30-year-old, who has competed at Flushing Meadows every year since 2005.
Sky Sports Tennis will have all the action from the US Open covered via our website www.skysports.com/tennis with our live blogs and updates throughout the fortnight as the Grand Slam year reaches its climax.
On the move? Head to our app for mobile devices and iPad, or follow our Twitter account @SkySportsTennis to join in the conversation. Who will win the US Open titles this year? Have your say...
We will also have coverage of the World Tour Finals in November with every match live on Sky Sports.
