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Flick through the glossy pages of American Vogue and you could be mistaken for believing Andy Murray is in New York for the glitzy fashion week rather than launching his latest bid to become a Grand Slam champion.
A series of photographs with the world No4 doing his best to “smoulder” for the camera has ensured his profile in the United States is higher than ever and, following his victory at the Toronto Masters, where he defeated Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, Murray really has become a big player in the Big Apple.
The fashion show starts in the second week of the US Open but Murray intends to be strutting his stuff on the Arthur Ashe centre court rather than watching the world's top models on the catwalk in the Theatre at Lincoln Center.
Having lost to Federer in the finals of the US Open (2008) and Australian Open (2010), Murray has yet to win a major. And if the British No1 is going to break his duck this time he will have to repeat his Toronto heroics after the draw landed him a potential semi-final against world No1 Nadal, with Federer seeded to reach the final from the other half.
At least Murray has been given a reasonable start. His first-round opponent is Slovakia's Lukas Lacko, ranked 72 in the world, followed by likely clashes with Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo and the more dangerous Swiss Stanislas Warinka.
By dumping coach Miles Maclagen at the start of this North American hardcourt leg of the season, Murray set himself up for a fall but winning a 15th career title in Toronto proved he can beat the best without a mentor.
He has been hitting on the practice courts at Flushing Meadows this week, having avoided a downpour on Monday that for a short time turned the City's streets into a mini-Venice.
The blue hardcourts of the National Tennis Centre are a natural second home for Murray, who won the Boys' title there and where the consistency of bounce and pace suits his counterpunching style.
He lost in the fourth round last year — a straight-sets defeat by Marin Cilic he described as his most disapppointing.
So it is comforting to hear Murray describe his preparations for New York as “perfect”. He looked short of gas in Cincinnati, where he lost to Mardy Fish in the quarter-finals, but a week choosing just how much practice he needs will see him start in peak condition.
Murray said: “I have worked as hard as I can to get in really good shape. Physically, it will have been very good for me before the US Open to play these matches and I am going to be fresh.”
The Scot's last two coaches both expect big things from him, with Maclagen insisting: “He is ready to win, no question. He is playing well and can win it.”
Brad Gilbert said: “He felt it was going to happen for him at the Australian Open and I think he had a hangover from that lasted for about four or five months.
“He's finally over that and coming into his own. Now it's just a matter of getting to the finish line.”
Meanwhile, Jamie Baker lost to Frenchman Marc Gicquel in the second qualifying round but Laura Robson and Katie O'Brien are still going strong in the women's event.
Robson stunned former world No4 Jelena Dokic 6-1, 6-4 to end the Australian's 15-match winning run and now faces Ukrainian Olga Savchuk, while O'Brien is only one win away from making the US Open proper after a 7-6, 6-1 victory over Misaki Doi.
