Murray suffering ahead of US Open after Cincinnati setback

Andy Murray has been hit with a second setback in as many weeks ahead of the US Open, but still remains at 3/1 to lift his first Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows at the end of the month.

The Scot was knocked out of the Cincinnati Masters in the third round by France’s Jeremy Chardy, just a week after pulling out of the Toronto Masters at the same stage with a knee injury.

Last year’s champion looked error-prone and out-of-sorts in Ohio, and now faces a race against time to find his form and fitness before the final major championship of the season.

One thing making Murray’s route to success in New York easier is the absence of the 2010 winner Rafael Nadal, who has withdrawn from the tournament citing a knee injury himself.

Murray won his first Olympic single’s gold medal earlier this month after defeating Roger Federer at the All England Club, but the Briton lost the Wimbledon final to the Swiss in July.

After Wimbledon, Murray was priced at 5/1 to pick up the US Open gong, but his Olympic success saw that price slashed to 3/1.

Those odds remain despite the 25-year-old’s recent problems, but Murray will hope to lay his 2008 Flushing Meadows final heartache to bed next month.

Standing in his way is the red-hot favourite Novak Djokovic who can be backed at 11/8, and Murray’s perennial conqueror Federer, priced at 5/2.

However, if Judy Murray – Andy’s mother – is to be believed then her son is worth is certainly worth a punt.

She has said that Andy’s recently Olympic success has lifted the ‘burden’ on his shoulders, and that Murray now holds the belief to win a first ever Grand Slam.

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