Stick to your guns Andy, insists Nick

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Simon Cambers13 April 2012

Andy Murray must stick to his guns and play his natural game if he is to end his long wait for a first grand-slam title here.

Many experts have pleaded with the British No1 to become more aggressive but that theory was smashed out of court today by the celebrated coach Nick Bollettieri.

The man who discovered Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Monica Seles and Maria Sharapova told Standard Sport: "Everybody, including myself, said he needs a weapon.

"But you know what, screw the weapon. Go out Andy, utilise your athleticism and play the way you want."

Bollettieri said Murray's win in Cincinnati 10 days ago - when world No1 Novak Djokovic quit during the final due to a shoulder injury - gave him an important confidence boost.

"I think the surface here is perfect for him, it's not overly fast," he said. "And whether Djokovic was hurt or not, he still beat him. That will help him a lot.

"I would like to see him sneak in to the net a little bit more because he moves so silently that, if he was a burglar, no one would ever see him coming in. I believe right now he is right in there with a great chance. He's in a good position."

Murray, who begins his US Open campaign against India's Somdev Devvarman in New York tonight, lost against Nadal in the semi-finals of the French Open and at Wimbledon this year and the Spaniard began the defence of his title with a 6-3, 7-6, 7-5 victory over Andrey Golubev, of Kazakhstan.

Golubev had seven set points in the second set and led 5-2 in the third.

The Spaniard has lost five times against Djokovic this year and Bollettieri believes Nadal's defeat by the Serb at Wimbledon was still affecting him.
"If you look at his facial emotions at Wimbledon, he wasn't the same Rafa," Bollettieri said.

"It was the first time I've ever seen him get down on himself. Nobody has been a better warrior than Rafa but for the first time there was doubt."
Djokovic cruised into round two when Irishman Conor Niland, stricken by food poisoning, quit trailing 6-0, 5-1.

British No1 Elena Baltacha joined Laura Robson in the second round when her American opponent, Jamie Hampton, was forced to quit in dramatic circumstances on court seven.

Hampton collapsed at 2-6, 6-2, 5-1 and Baltacha rushed to the other side of the net to help. "I remember when I went through that in Doha a couple of years ago when you start with a calf cramp and then it works its way up," said Baltacha.

"Before you know it, it's reaching your abdominal area. Then, before you know it, it's going into a full body cramp. She couldn't even get up. She was trying and couldn't. Then the doctor ran out, so I went over and tried to help with ice packs."
Anne Keothavong was beaten 7-5, 6-3 by South Africa's Chanelle Scheepers.

Robson, 17, will try to reach the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time later today when she plays 30th seed Anabel Medina Garrigues, of Spain.

French Open champion Li Na made a shock early exit, losing 6-2, 7-5 against Simona Halep, of Romania.

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