TENNIS in DEPTH.

The final grand slam of the year gets under way in New York on August 30.

Andy Murray insists he is ready for the US Open despite struggling in the heat as he lost to Mardy Fish in the quarter-final of the Cincinnati Masters on Friday.

“I’ve put in a lot work off the court,” said Murray, who won the ATP Rogers Cup in Toronto before heading to Cincinnati.

“I’ve worked as hard as I can to get in really good shape. I just tried to fight as much as I could, and nearly won. I’ve had more than enough matches before the US Open, I think.”

Rafael Nadal has been beaten in Toronto and Cincinnati, and he had to struggle to get into the quarter final. He is like a fish (no pun intended) out of water on hard courts, and even though he will be seeded #1 in New York, he may find winning his first US Open is just too much for his tender knees and clay court style.

Novak Djokovic is living up to his reputation as the joker, and cannot be considered as a serious contender in New York. Whether it is his allergies, or the weather, or a problem deep within his camp, he does not demonstrate the desire or the motivation to compete at a level we all know that he is capable of.

If Federer wins the title in Cinci (which he should), then he must be considered as the favourite to win another US Open. He always saves his best for the Grand Slam events, and I often wonder if his defeats on the way to the Slams are part of his grand overall plan.

Is this the year for an outsider to win? Roddick, Nalbandian, Berdych, Soderling………no way!

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