Murray ruthless in Australia but won’t turn his back on US Open
BRITAIN’S Andy Murray distanced himself from talk of boycotting this year’s US Open yesterday, after breezing into the Australian Open quarter-finals for the fourth successive campaign.
Players are said to be ready to abandon the Major in New York because they disagree with the men’s final being moved to Monday and believe the increase in prize money is too small.
But Murray, the reigning US Open champion, insisted he had not discussed the unrest with his ATP Tour peers since a players’ meeting earlier this month.
“I know the ATP are not particularly happy with the Monday final, because however much revenue they make from having an extra day on their tournament hasn’t reflected in the increase in prize money,” he said.
“That was what players wanted, better prize money, but not with an extra day. But I personally haven’t spoken with anyone about boycotting the event.”
Third seed Murray is still to drop a set in Melbourne this year after despatching an exhausted Gilles Simon 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 yesterday and will meet another Frenchman, the unseeded Jeremy Chardy, in the last eight late tonight.