Andy Murray not giving up on another Grand Slam despite US Open exit

Andy Murray has not given up on his quest for a fourth Grand Slam title, despite his second-round exit at the US Open.

There was to be no repeat of the marathon five-set win from his opening-round match as he was beaten 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 by Canada’s No15 seed Felix Augur-Aliassime.

It was his first straight-sets Grand Slam defeat since the Australian Open final in 2016, while the nine games won was his lowest tally at a major for six years.

Despite the defeat, the 33-year-old with the metal hip insisted he had not given up hope of winning again at the highest level.

“In terms of winning Grand Slams again, that’s going to be extremely difficult to do,” he said.

“It was hard enough when I had two normal hips. So, it will be difficult, but I’ll keep trying. Why not? Why shouldn’t I try my hardest to do that? And if I don’t, that’s alright. But I might as well shoot for the stars. And if I don’t get there, then that’s alright. But I’m trying my best to get the most out of what my body gives me now.

“After tonight, I would say I’m more positive about what I could do in Grand Slams than I was before I came over. You guys don’t know how I was feeling even just a couple of months ago. I’m more positive now than what I was a couple of months ago.”

In the first round, Murray had recovered from two sets down and facing a match point to win over five sets in more than four-and-a-half hours.

Against Agur-Aliassime, one of the rising stars of the men’s game, he never looked like pulling off the same escape act.

Murray does not plan to play again until the French Open at the end of this month, his first appearance since 2017 at Roland Garros, where he made the final the previous year. He has no intention to enter any of the warm-up events on clay, preferring instead to give his hip more time to recover.

“Right now, the plan is just to play the French Open,” he said. “I haven’t played a match on clay since 2017, which is a very long time.

“I will need to take a little break, because it’s been quite an intense little stretch in comparison to what I have had the last 10 months or so.”

Fellow Briton Johanna Konta failed to convert her early advantage after going up a set and break against Sorana Cirstea as she bowed out 2-6, 7-6, 7-5.

There was none of the feistiness of their previous Fed Cup encounter, in which Konta was left in tears after an outburst by Romania captain Ilie Nastase.

The British No1 said: “My opponent played better, that’s about it. She raised her level.

“We were kind of battling toe to toe, she was just better.”

Serena Williams, bidding to equal Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam singles victories, reached the third round by beating Margarita Gasparyan 6-2, 6-4.