Murray’s US Open hopes boosted as Tsonga makes shock exit
Published:Andy Murray’s hopes of winning the US Open have received a major boost by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga’s surprise second-round exit at Flushing Meadow.
Murray is 3/1 to win a maiden Grand Slam at the US Open and can now not face a player in the top-ten of the ATP rankings until at least the semi finals after Tsonga’s four-set defeat to Martin Klizan.
Inconsistent is certainly a word that applies to Klizan, as the Slovak lost to world number 337 and British player Dan Evans earlier this season in a crunch Davis Cup game in Glasgow.
However, he was a different player at the US Open in causing the biggest shock of the men’s tournament so far, while the result is also Tsonga’s worst since his first appearance at Flushing Meadow in 2007.
Tsonga was widely expected to be Murray’s opponent in the quarter finals, providing a first tough challenge in the final week of the Grand Slam, ahead of probable meetings with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
Murray has made smooth progress so far with straight-set victories over Alex Bogomolov and Ivan Dodig and faces Feliciano Lopez next in the third round.
It is 1/25 that Murray triumphs, as he has in all of the previous six career meetings between the pair, with Lopez’ liking for net play well suited to the Brit’s style.
Milos Raonic and James Blake are the possible opponents for Murray in the fourth round, with Raonic still representing a probable banana skin after advancing past Murray in their last two meetings.
A Murray victory over Raonic would mean that Marin Cilic is the highest-seeded possible opponent now in the quarter final in Tsonga’s absence.
Djokovic remains the favourite in the US Open odds at 5/4, with Federer next best at 5/2.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
