Andy Murray: I have a lot of work to do before US Open starts

Knocked out: Andy Murray
AP

Andy Murray says he needs to raise his game for next week’s US Open after a lacklustre performance against Milos Raonic in the last 16 of the Western & Southern Open.

Following up on such an impressive win over world No7 Alexander Zverev a day earlier was always going to be a big ask in Murray’s gradual return to form and fitness.

But the former world No1 was never in contention as he lost 6-2, 6-2 against a player he defeated in straight sets in the 2016 Wimbledon final.

Murray was at a loss to explain his poor display and admitted he needed to infinitely improve at the same Flushing Meadows venue which hosts both this week’s tournament and next week’s US Open.

“The positives are I got three matches in,” he said. “Physically, I pulled up okay. Today, I don’t know. I didn’t feel particularly tired, but I certainly was hitting some pretty bad tennis shots.

“I’m not happy with that performance. Clearly I have a lot of work to do on my game before the US Open starts. But, yeah, not happy at all.”

In the women’s draw, Johanna Konta beat Vera Zvonareva 6-4, 6-2 and will face Maria Sakkari in the last eight tonight.

Commentating on the match, Konta’s ex-Fed Cup team-mate Laura Robson questioned the 29-year-old’s decision to team up with new coach Thomas Hogstedt, calling it a “weird choice… because they are so individual and so dead set on whatever they think is best”.

Konta defended the move, saying: “He’s had success with a lot of players. I don’t see why it can’t work out.”