Murray Gets Set for Big Apple Showdown With Djokovic
The 7th Annual BNP Paribas Showdown is set for Monday, March 3 at Madison Square Garden. The event will provide an unbelievable night of tennis when some of the biggest names in the game take to the court in the World’s Most Famous Arena. The event will feature Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, as well as, for the first time in its history, a unique brothers doubles match with John & Patrick McEnroe teaming up to take on Bob & Mike Bryan, arguably the best doubles team of all-time. Murray recently addressed the press to promote the event ….
Are you looking forward to the event at Madison Square Garden?
Murray: Yeah, it should be a great event. I’ve heard from the guys that played there before that it is an amazing atmosphere. When I went to look around they were in the middle of refurbishments but it looked liked it was going to be unbelievable so it should be a fun place to play!
You had a very memorable 2012 U.S. Open against Novak Djokovic. Would you characterize that as your greatest match with him ever?
Murray: I guess from my side, yeah I would say that. I mean we’ve played in quite a few big ones over the past few years, we’ve played a couple of great matches in Australia as well, but I mean from my side that was my first Grand Slam for me, and the way that the match went as well where I was up two sets-to-love and then he came back and then to come through winning that, it was probably my best one against him.
Can you just talk about the benefit for players at your level and Novak for playing an exhibition like this?
Murray: It depends how you use them and what time of year they come at. I mean obviously in preparation for Indian Wells and Miami which are the two biggest events coming up, I mean to play a match in that atmosphere with that many people, you know is perfect preparation for those events coming up. I haven’t played in loads of exhibition matches over the last few years but it’s not often a chance comes around to play at a venue like that, Madison Square Garden. I am a huge, huge boxing fan and they have had a load of great fights over the years. I love my basketball as well so to play in a place like that where you might not be able to get that chance to do that ever again, where you know most tournaments we will get that opportunity. You know the exhibitions kind of will be great for us as players to play in different arenas and parts of the world, we don’t usually get to.
Coming back from back surgery and playing the Australian Open, you are playing really well and then of course you play Roger. How do you feel about your expectations, did you feel you can play that well for a few rounds at the Australian Open?
Andy Murray: To be honest, I didn’t know, I didn’t really know. I think having not played at that level hurt me a little bit at the beginning of the match with Roger because he was obviously playing some really good tennis over in Australia. And, he started the match very well and at a very high pace. It was something that I almost wasn’t ready for and in a way I started to build into the match as it went on and to feel a little bit better as the match went on. I don’t know how I was going to play. I never had a surgery before. I didn’t know how my body was going to respond exactly. But, for the second tournament back it was good. I wasn’t expecting to play my best tennis but it was a good start. The positive is that my back is feeling good and hopefully that continues throughout the rest of the year.
Can you tell us how you feel when you are in New York City?
Murray: There is so much energy in the city that’s for sure. It’s a very busy place, there is a lot happening. There is loads of stuff to do there. When I was growing up it was my favorite place to play and favorite place to visit. I love the event, I love the U.S. Open, and I love the night matches and the atmosphere there. It’s a fun place to go to because there is just so much to do. As a player, all the big places we play in all across the world it’s a pretty unique atmosphere that you get at the U.S. Open playing in New York. It should be fun to go back and play at Madison Square Garden. It’s a cool city and I’ve always enjoyed going there. The first time I went I was 15-years-old and I’ve enjoyed it all the time.
