MURRAY URGED TO ATTACK

In this sort of heat, New Yorkers long to be in the Hamptons, the desirable Long Island beaches, not still in the city, and tennis players want to be off court as quickly as possible.

So, it will suit Andy Murray to take an ultra-aggressive approach and to keep the points short when he opens his US Open on Wednesday against Lukas Lacko, of Slovakia.

And John McEnroe is one of those who would contend that Murray should go for his shots for however long he stays around, whatever the weather, because he likes to see him 'go after the ball'.

Jankovic happy to dodge embarrassment It was by clumping the ball, by taking confident swings of his racket, that Murray defeated David Nalbandian, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in Toronto to win his first title of the season, though he was more defensive the following week in the heat of Cincinnati, when he lost in the quarter-finals to Mardy Fish.

Murray's take is that he will play aggressively at Flushing Meadows if he feels that is the best way to make progress, but it does not have to be pretty, and he will play ugly tennis if he feels he needs to.