Murray warms to Paris after frosty courtship
BRITAIN’S Andy Murray insists he is warming to the French Open with every passing year as he prepares to launch his 2012 challenge against Japan’s Tatsuma Ito.
The Scot has a poorer record at Roland Garros than the tennis calendar’s other three grand slams, having only made it past the last 16 on two occasions. One of those was last year, however, when Murray fell in the semi-finals to clay court king Rafael Nadal – progress symptomatic, he says, of a growing fondness for Paris and its attractions.
“Each year I have enjoyed it more and more,” said the fourth seed. “As I have got older I’ve learned to appreciate it more. It’s a very nice place for us to come to. I stay pretty much on the Champs Elysees, so it’s always busy and there’s nice restaurants and cinemas and lots of stuff to do.”
Despite last year’s breakthrough performance, clay remains the weakest surface for Murray. Recent defeats to Tomas Berdych, Milos Raonic and Richard Gasquet – all top 25 ranked players, but ones Murray would expect to beat – bear this out.
“The movement is the thing that always takes me a while to get used to, but normally after a few weeks that’s okay,” he added. “It’s something I always try to work on.”
Ito, 24, is in good form, having broken into the world’s top 100 and reached a career high 68, but has never played in the main draw at Roland Garros before.
Murray’s fellow Britons Heather Watson and Anne Keothavong also play their first-round matches today, against Elena Vesnina and Melinda Czink respectively.
Yesterday world No1 Novak Djokovic started slowly before overcoming Italian Potito Starace 7-6 (7-3), 6-3, 6-1, while 16-time grand slam champion Roger Federer breezed past German Tobias Kamke in straight sets. In the women’s draw, top seed Victoria Azarenka suffered a scare against world No105 Alberta Brianti before beating the Italian in three sets, while defending champion Li Na and third seed Agnieszka Radwanska both progressed with ease.