Murray Has New Job: Defend His First Grand Slam Title

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 19th August 2013

Murray Has New Job: Defend His First Grand Slam Title

epa03826305 Andy Murray of Britain returns to Julien Benneteau of France during their third round match for the ATP Masters in Mason, Ohio, USA, 15 August 2013. EPA/MARK LYONS |

Andy Murray will be making a leap into the unknown in a matter of days as he begins the defence of his first grand slam title when he plays the US Open. The No. 2 who is concentrating currently on his job at the Cincinnati tournament – final tune-up for the major – knows that he will be in for a new pressure-packed experience.

“Obviously I haven’t been back on one yet, but I’ll see that in a few weeks’ time,” he said of his upcoming job at Flushing Meadows which begins on August 26. “A lot of the pressure comes from yourself, how much you want to keep doing and how much you want to keep working.

I hope there’s still pressure there and I hope there’s still some expectation. There will be nerves and stuff.

“It’s going to be a new experience for me, though, at the US Open.

I’ve never defended a grand slam title before, and hopefully I’ll deal with that OK.”

Murray added that the days in the aftermath of his Wimbledon title six weeks ago didn’t give him enough time to savor the victory. “I would have liked to have spent a bit more time with friends and family, but the demands on your time are extremely, extremely tight.

But I had a good time the few days afterwards. It was just nice to be at home, and the time I did get to spend with my family and stuff was great.”