US Open: Andy Murray’s schedule ‘advantage’

Andy Murray hopes his New York schedule can play into his hands as he prepares to play his first match in three days at the US Open today.

Having begun his campaign on Monday, the third seed was the only man to play his second-round match on Wednesday, when he easily saw off Ivan Dodig in the night session.

It is a complete contrast to last year, where he did not play his first-round match until Wednesday and found himself trying to play catch-up in the second week when rain played havoc with the schedule.

Murray found himself playing three matches in as many days, the last of which saw him lose to Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals. The Scot said: “Sometimes at Wimbledon it happens where you play Friday and Monday. Here it has not happened to me that often where I’ve had the two-day break.

“A lot of the guys in the draw have had it in the first round from Monday to Thursday, then some from Tuesday to Friday.

“I have to view it as an advantage after what I’ve been through at some of the US Opens before when I had a lot of matches to play in a short space of time. I’d rather be in this position.”

Murray has not dropped a set so far and, if his record against next opponent Feliciano Lopez is anything to go by, today should be comfortable as well.

The pair have played six times before and the 25-year-old has won all of them, dropping only one set.