Don’t be put off Murray to defend his US Open title after exit

Andy Murray’s preparations to defend his US Open crown which begins later this month got off to a rocky start when the Brit crashed out in the third round of the Rogers Cup in Montreal.

Playing in his first tournament since achieving Wimbledon glory, the Scot succumbed to talented Latvian Ernests Gulbis 6-4, 6-3 thereby ending Murray’s 13-game unbeaten streak stretching back to May.

However, far from representing a cataclysmic disaster for Britain’s finest wielder of a tennis racket in over 70 years, punters should resist the temptation to see this as anything other than a blip off the back of a well-earned rest.

The world number two is currently a shade behind his chief nemesis Novak Djokovic at 2/1 to successfully defend his title at Flushing Meadows, with the Serbian installed at 13/8 to add to his Australian crown in 2013.

While losing to the world number 34, Gulbis, won’t have featured on his US Open preparation tick list, the player himself was quick to put things in perspective.

“The goal is to try and peak at the US Open,” said Murray. “But to do that you need to make sure you prepare yourself well. “There’s obviously some things for me to work on, but I think that will come with playing matches.”

With the Cincinnati Masters next on the ATP Tour calendar, Murray should have plenty of time to blow out the cobwebs as he adjusts to the hard court surface which he has relished throughout his career.

It’s fully understandable that after such a whirlwind of a summer in which he finally realised the hopes of a nation at Wimbledon, that it would take a while for Muzza to refocus.

Between now and Cincinnati, Ivan Lendl will be making Murray sweat and only if he crashes out of that event should eyebrows begin to be hoisted.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.