Querrey can’t count on crowd against Murray

American Sam Querrey faces Andy Murray in the fourth round and realizes Centre Court spectators will be firmly in the Scotsman’s corner.

• Follow us on
• 
• 
• 

Published: Mon 28 Jun 2010, 12:56 PM

Last updated: Mon 6 Apr 2015, 9:05 AM

“You hear them cheering for the other guy, and you assume they like the other guy,” Querrey said. “They don’t dislike you. They like both players. They just like him a little more.”

Murray is trying to become the first British man to win Wimbledon since 1936. Querrey is trying to reach the quarterfinals at a Grand Slam event for the first time, but he doesn’t expect much crowd support.

“I think it’ll be 99 percent for Murray and, like, my mom and dad and sister cheering for me,” Querrey said.

Playing in the second week at Wimbledon for the first time, Querrey joins a schedule Monday that is star-studded, with all 32 remaining players in action.

There are two eye-catching matchups on the women’s side: three-time champion Serena Williams against 2004 champion Maria Sharapova, and an all-Belgian showdown between former No. 1s Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters, both making Wimbledon comebacks after returning from retirement.

Six-time champion Roger Federer faces former junior doubles partner Jurgen Melzer of Austria for the first time in the opening Centre Court match. Rafael Nadal, got through the third round despite a worrisome knee injury, plays Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu. After a 40-minute practice session Sunday, Nadal pronounced his knee “good, good; not bad.”

How full was the schedule? Five-time champion Venus Williams was consigned to Court 2 against Jarmila Groth of Australia.

Among the potential spoilers still in the draw, Querrey ranks as one of the most dangerous. Seeded 18^th, he began the tournament with one win from four matches at Wimbledon. But he’s 8-0 on grass this month and won his first grass-court title two weeks ago at Queen’s.

At 6-foot-6 (1.98 meters), the 22-year-old regularly hits serves above 130 mph (210 kph), which makes him dangerous on the fast surface. He has improved his movement and showed a deft touch at the net when he edged Xavier Malisse on Saturday, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-2, 5-7, 9-7.

“I felt good on the grass last year,” Querrey said. “This year I’m feeling even better. After my first few rounds at the Queen’s Club, I felt great on the grass. I’m still feeling great on it.”

During the first week of the tournament, Querrey spent a lot of time with his doubles partner John Isner.

Isner, drained after winning a fifth set 70-68 in the longest match in tennis history, was eliminated in the second round. Querrey and three-time Wimbledon runner-up Andy Roddick are the lone American men who reached the second week.

Murray, the only British player to survive the first round, has been in a slump since finishing as the runner-up to Federer at the Australian Open in January. But Murray is 12-2 at Wimbledon over the past three years, despite carrying the weight of a nation’s expectations.

He won every set in the opening week of this year’s tournament, and on Saturday beat talented Frenchman Gilles Simon 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.

“The start has been very good, and something that I needed for the confidence,” Murray said. “I’m going to have to play better next week if I want to go all the way.”

Murray has won all three of his matches against Querrey, but their most recent meeting was in 2008. Querrey said he’s comfortable playing the role of spoiler.

“You want to go out there and give the crowd a show,” he said. “I want to play well, and hopefully I can challenge him.”

The U.S. football team’s elimination from the World Cup coincided with Querrey’s tense victory over Malisse, the last match of the third round.

Querrey dismissed the suggestion his victory might have a healing effect for U.S. sports fans.

“No,” he said firmly. “I don’t think (my) match was televised. I mean, I know it wasn’t. So no one even knows what happened out there on Court 1 besides, like, my family.”

Then he thought about the potential impact of beating Murray and cracked a slight smile.

“Maybe on Monday. If I can get a win there,” Querrey said, “then maybe.”