Murray disappointed with inconsistency post losing to Federer in Cincinnati quarterfinals

Andy-MurrayLondon, Aug 17 : Former Wimbledon champion Andy Murray has been left frustrated by his inconsistency after losing to 17 Grand Slam titles holder Roger Federer in the Western and Southern Open quarterfinals in Cincinnati.

Murray, who will head to the US Open, which starts on 25 August, without a title since winning Wimbledon in 2013, recently squandered a double-break in the second set to lose 6-3, 7-5 to Federer.

Murray said that there is no excuse for that, and added that he has played enough matches now for that not to be the case, The BBC reported.

Murray said that when he was 18 then maybe, but he is 27 years old now and he has played this tournament nine times. He added that it can happen, but it's the way that it happened which isn't good enough.

Murray had let a similarly strong position slip in the final set against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in Toronto the previous week, his first tournament since a straight-sets defeat by Grigor Dimitrov in the Wimbledon quarterfinals.

The former Wimbledon champion said that the inconsistency is the most disappointing thing. He added that it is fine to have periods like that when one is young and first coming on the tour, but one or two games max should be when the player lets his level drop and needs to be able to find it again. Murray said that he did not do that.

Murray has not won an ATP ranking event or beaten a top-10 player since his Wimbledon victory 13 months ago, and since having surgery on a back injury last September his ATP world ranking has slipped from third to ninth.

The Scot looked to have rediscovered his best form with a hard-fought win over American John Isner on Thursday, and he believes he has enough matches behind him to challenge for a second US Open title in New York, the report added. (ANI)