Andy Murray hopes to shrug off illness at US Open

Andy Murray cools off with ice wrapped around his neck during his win over Adrian Mannarino. Picture: AP

Andy Murray could not have been more downbeat if he had tried. He was through to the third round of the US Open but, coughing and spluttering, he was sick and he was exhausted.

It had taken him nearly three and a half hours to beat Adrian Mannarino on a suffocatingly hot afternoon in Flushing Meadows and for the first 90 minutes, he looked to be on his way out of the tournament.

Struggling with a cold, he was doubled up and leaning on his racket, wheezing for breath after some rallies but summoning every ounce of energy and willpower he had left, he managed to survive 5-7, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3, 6-1. Still, he had nothing left when he walked off court.

“I think quite a few of the players have had a head cold,” he said. “My brother was quite sick yesterday, as well. I think there’s a few of the players have had it.

“There’s no real cure. Hopefully it takes three or four days before it’s out the system. The only thing I’ve taken is Vitamin C – there’s not much you can take. But that’s one of the things about being an athlete – it’s  survival of the fittest.”

With luck and a decent night of sleep, Murray ought to be feeling a bit better when he faces Thomaz Bellucci today, but the concern is how much fuel there is left in the tank.

He was tired when he got to New York and was carefully managing his resources after a hectic summer but, now, with potentially five matches to play in the next nine days, he will have to be even more careful and diligent in his recovery work. “I’m proud of the way I fought but, in these conditions, obviously it can take its toll later on in the tournament,” he said.

“But, unfortunately, you don’t always have the luxury of  winning matches in straight sets. Sometimes you have to fight through. Maybe if you’re not playing your best, just find a way to get through.

“When you’re not playing your best, you find a way to come through matches like that. It can give you confidence. You feel a little bit like you’re fortunate to still be in the event and you’re a bit more maybe relaxed going into the next matches.

“I’ve come through many tough matches in my career, and I think that’s why when you are behind like that in the scoreline, when you’ve done it in the past, you have the belief that you can come through and do it again. That definitely helped me here.”