Dustin Brown puts Jamaica on US Open map

Big up Dustin!! :yes: Check out our article about Dustin Brown from earlier this year for more information about him.

Brown gets historic win at US Open... Books date with Andy Murray

Thursday, September 02, 2010

NEW YORK, USA (AFP) — Jamaica's Dustin Brown has no coach, no extra money, no major financial backing and no experience in front of huge crowds like the one that will watch him play Britain's Andy Murray at the US Open.

But the 25-year-old German-born standout has no lack of confidence in facing the Scotsman after taking his first Grand Slam triumph yesterday, ousting Spain's Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo, 6-4, 7-6 (8/6), 7-5.

"I'm really excited to play against him," Brown said. "I'm definitely going to play my type of tennis, play aggressive, try to keep the points short. He's a very good returner, so I'll have to see how it works out, how I'm serving, if it's possible to play serve and volley or have to play from the baseline."

Brown, ranked 123rd, has risen nearly 300 spots in the world rankings as a low-budget operator and is excited to show what he can do against elite talent.

"The last year has been a very good year for me, ranked maybe 400-something to inside the top 100 and that with limited support from federations," he said.

"If I get financial backing and a coach travelling with me, we'll just see what happens. Either way I think there's definitely much more to come."

Brown pays his own travel and expenses to events — "if you lose first round, you could go out with a minus" — but does not envy Murray's riches, saying he has a freedom that comes with not being beholden to sponsors' desires.

"There are a lot of people that have a lot of money, but it also depends if you're also still a free person. I'm very free. I can do what I want," Brown said. "If I don't feel like playing, I'll go home.

"Being in his position and having his type of money, there definitely is a certain amount of contracts that you're tied down to and rules you have to follow. That's why probably right now I don't have any contracts.

"I'm definitely looking properly to make sure I don't give away too much of my freedom and other people are deciding for me where I have to play, where I have to train. Then I just can't perform good."

While his big weapon is his serve, Brown also loves the drop shot.

"I try it and I see how it works," he said. "If the guy is running it down every time and hits a winner, then I should stop."

Brown had inquired about playing Davis Cup tennis for Britain or Germany but hopes to heal differences with Jamaican officials that sent him searching.

"If the possibility is to stay in playing for Jamaica, I definitely would love to do that," Brown said. "But if I realise that nothing is going to change over the years, I have to look at my career."

Murray warned that national pride is a big part of Davis Cup.

"I don't know how British or English he feels," Murray said. "For me, that's quite important when I'm playing for my country."

Brown said match support from New York's Jamaican community made him feel like his US Open debut was a Davis Cup tie and he expects the same for the Murray match.

"That will probably be the biggest crowd I've played in front of," he said. "If we play on a big court there are definitely going to be more Jamaican guys coming."

Visit his website at .

From JamaicaObserver.com.