What Andy Murray's Loss to Roger Federer Means for US Open 2015

Andy Murray has had a resurgent 2015 season, but he's now 0-of-3 in major tournaments after losing to Roger Federer in the semifinals at Wimbledon. That leaves him just one more chance to capture a Grand Slam event this year, at the U.S. Open in August. 

Despite being the third-ranked player in the ATP standings, Murray has been unable to get over the Grand Slam hump consistently. His two wins to this point came at the U.S. Open in 2012 and All England Club in 2013, both against Novak Djokovic.  

ESPN Stats & Info noted Murray would have done something that hadn't been accomplished in nearly 80 years with a tournament win:

In the lead-up to this year's Wimbledon, Murray told Matt Morlidge of the Daily Mail that he was getting advice from legendary former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. 

"He has given me quite a bit of advice, especially on the mental side—on how to prepare for a big match," Murray said. "It is always great to meet people who have experienced so many things and have the passion to share it."

Ferguson's words didn't ultimately pan out for Murray in this tournament, though perhaps being able to move forward from difficult moments was another thing they discussed. 

The No. 3 seed was complimentary of Federer following the match (via BBC Tennis):

That holds true with the numbers because the only significant gap in the match stats from Wimbledon.com is Federer had 20 aces to just 12 for Murray. These two exchanged several long rallies, and neither player was ever in complete control, but Federer always had a little more gas in the tank.

The question moving forward is what Murray's loss does for his U.S. Open chances. Since winning the tournament three years ago, he's lost in the quarterfinals in 2013 to Stan Wawrinka and 2014, with Djokovic getting revenge for those previous defeats. 

Prior to Wimbledon, Murray had six losses in 2015. Four of those came to Djokovic, including each of the previous majors played. The simple solution for him to win the U.S. Open will be to avoid Djoker, but that leaves him at the mercy of others. 

Their playing styles are very similar as baseline-set and defensive-minded stars that it just becomes a question of who is better. More often than not, that will be Djokovic, as it has been in 2015. 

Murray has been at his best this season when he's aggressive, playing close to the baseline and using his forehand. That was how he won Wimbledon in 2013, as Greg Rusedski wrote for the Telegraph:

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The key thing he developed in his game was his forehand - cutting the angles, hitting through the ball, not pulling out of his shots. It changed everything for him. After he had been working with Ivan for a little while you could see he was just so much more balanced when he was hitting the forehand and was able to flatten it out as well as improving his top spin.

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Age and injuries have played a role in Murray's game. He battled back issues in 2014 that left him off his game virtually all year, as he won just three singles titles. 

At 28, Murray isn't in danger of losing his spot as a top-three player. He hasn't gotten over the major-tournament hump this season, but it's not like he's stumbled against inferior competition. Reaching the semifinals at Wimbledon and the French Open and the final at the Australian Open are positive steps. 

Murray will be among the top contenders for a U.S. Open title because his talent and overall performance warrant it. A rematch against Federer in New York could easily go the other way, which could set him up for another major showdown against Djokovic in the final if the draw breaks correctly.