MURRAY CAN STILL BEAT THE BEST [BBC Sport/tennis, 4 July] After playing so well at the Australian Open, only losing to one of the all-time greats Roger Federer, Andy Murray understandably granted himself a period of reflection and recuperation.It was absolutely necessary, the body and mind wrung dry by winter workouts, meticulous preparation and a close-to-perfect tournament, but coming so early in the season, the break set him back and at tournaments in Dubai and North America, he underperformed.Then came the clay season, with its predictable collection of OK performances but relatively early defeats, and Murray was a long way away from his peak.Over dinner near his home, seven days before the start of Wimbledon, he maintained that his best tennis wasn't far away and he was right.It took a brilliant performance from another all-time great, Rafael Nadal, to end an impressive run and now, after a mentally draining fortnight, we expect the Murray Corporation to shut down for a couple of weeks. It's absolutely essential.But this is where things are different from post-Melbourne.Then, in February, it was back into action almost immediately. Now, with six weeks until the start of the next big mandatory tournament in Toronto, it's almost like Andy Murray's off-season. Time away from the court should help him recharge for the big push for American hard-court success.Even if he takes a couple of weeks off completely - as he did after his Australian exertions - he'll still have plenty of court time to get the feel back ahead of Canada.He goes into the US Open series without a title, the first time that's happened since his first year as a pro in 2005, yet I'd be surprised if that barren spell lasts. I'm convinced he will lift the trophy at either Toronto, Cincinatti or - dare I say it - the next major in New York.Make no mistake, he is ready.