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NEW YORK -- Andy Murray chuckled as he explained the very best part about owning a pair of Grand Slam titles, one from the U.S. Open last year, the other from Wimbledon last month. No more of those nagging, oft-repeated queries -- the ones he heard over and over and over again. "Not too much for me has changed. But the one thing thats been nice is that, literally for five or six years, I did a press conference before every tournament and after every single match, and I got asked that question, Id say, 90 per cent of the time: Why have you never won Wimbledon? When are you going to win Wimbledon? Why have you not won a Grand Slam?" Murray said in an interview with The Associated Press. "So thats the thing that, for me, has been the nicest: Not having to answer that question," he added, standing outside the locker rooms at Arthur Ashe Stadium, not far from the oversized colour picture and silver plaque that commemorate his 2012 victory at Flushing Meadows. "I can just play tennis now and not have to worry about that anymore." Thats right. When the years last major tennis tournament begins on the U.S. Opens blue hard courts Monday, Murray will have other concerns. For example: What might it feel like to defend a Grand Slam championship? Thats something hes never tried to do before, of course. Or how many of these can he win? Or, really, will he even be able to win one more? Yes, for a guy who has accomplished so much over the past 13 months, redefining his career and place in the game, Murray still sounds very much like someone harbouring quite a bit of uncertainty. His success at the U.S. Open in 2012 did, after all, make him the first British man since Fred Perry in 1936 to win a Grand Slam title. His success at Wimbledon in July, as everyone knows by now, made him the first British man since Perry 77 years ago to earn the singles trophy at the All England Club. Toss in a London Olympics gold medal, and its been quite a run. "Hes turned into a great player. Hes always been a good hitter of the ball, been a great mover. I think mentally hes a bit better now," 14-time major champion Pete Sampras said recently. "Now he feels like he belongs." Maybe. But Murray also remembers what came before. He remembers -- and, much to his chagrin, there was a time when he frequently was reminded of it by others -- that he lost each of the first four Grand Slam finals he reached. "I know how long it took me to win one and how hard it is to win them. I know its possible I may not win another one," the 26-year-old from Scotland said, his tone and facial expression earnest. "So I just want to keep trying to put myself in position to win Grand Slams and hopefully I can do the same again here." Indeed, Murray anticipates some shakiness at the start of the U.S. Open. Instead of declaring that he will step on court with the bravado of a defending champion, Murray wonders whether his play might be affected in a bad way at the outset of this U.S. Open because of what happened a year ago. "Depending on how the tournament goes, at the start of the tournament, I expect to be pretty nervous and feel maybe more pressure than I have in some years," he said. "But then I would hope, if I can do well and get through the first few rounds, that it would actually give me confidence. Once I get myself into the tournament, I may calm down and actually start feeling more confident that I can win the event. Whereas before, it might have actually been the opposite. I might have felt OK at the start, and when I got closer to the end of the tournament, felt more pressure and more nerves and less confidence." The 2012 womens champion, Serena Williams, owns 16 Grand Slam titles, four at the U.S. Open. Usually when she loses at a major tournament, the sting sticks around for a while. That was the case with this years Wimbledon, where her 34-match winning streak surprisingly ended with a fourth-round exit. "I was obviously bothered. I wanted to do better. I was disappointed. Im still disappointed," Williams said, 7 1/2 weeks after that setback. "But I had opportunities and I didnt take them in the match. I have to realize that I have to just be better and learn from the experience. Its not the end of the world. I can always do better and keep growing." Asked what advice she might offer Murray about attempting to repeat as champion at a Grand Slam tournament, the No. 1-seeded Williams said: "For me, its not about defending. Its about: This is the U.S Open. I want to try to win this title. Last year was last year. Now its time to try to have fun this year. Thats how I look at it." Murray is seeded No. 3, and the expectation is that he or one of the men ahead of him, No. 1 Novak Djokovic and No. 2 Rafael Nadal, will hold the trophy after the final, which is scheduled for Sept. 9. Its the first time since 1954 that the tournament is supposed to end on a Monday (the mens final was played on a Monday each of the past five years, but that was because of rain delays). That trio divvied up the seasons first three Grand Slam titles, with Djokovic winning his fourth at the Australian Open, and Nadal his eighth at the French Open. They also have split the past three U.S. Open titles (Nadal won in 2010, Djokovic in 2011). Another past U.S. Open champion, Roger Federer, is seeded only No. 7 this time, his lowest spot in New York since 2002. Federer is coming off a second-round loss at Wimbledon, ending his record run of 36 consecutive major quarterfinal appearances. Another streak remains intact, though: The U.S. Open will be Federers 56th Grand Slam tournament in a row, tying the mens record. Federer turned 32 this month, and hes dealt with a bothersome back and a brief experiment with a different racket, while losing matches to a couple of guys ranked outside the top 100. Any chance he could add to his 17 Grand Slam trophies? "At this stage," said John McEnroe, a seven-time major champion and ESPN analyst, "its going to be quite, quite difficult for him to win another one." A photograph of Federer hangs in a hall near the Arthur Ashe Stadium locker rooms, staring right at Murrays poster across the way. The big difference: Federer won the U.S. Open five times, every year from 2004-08. "I came here for the first time when I was 15. You walk down these corridors, and you look at all the great players who have played here," Murray said. "To be up on the wall next to them is a nice feeling." Wholesale Air Jordan 11 Online . 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Nathan Beaulieu, Tomas Jurco, Danick Gauthier and Jonathan Huberdeau had a goal and an assist each as the Sea Dogs extended the longest streak in the Canadian Hockey League this season.PHILADELPHIA -- Michael Carter-Williams has something to show for being a bright spot in a dismal season for the Philadelphia 76ers. Carter-Williams won the NBAs Rookie of the Year Award on Monday after becoming only the third player since 1950-51 to lead all rookies in scoring (16.7), rebounding (6.3) and assists (6.2). Oscar Robertson (1960-61) and Alvan Adams (1975-76) were the others. Despite the performance of their dynamic guard, the Sixers were awful this season. They were 19-73 and tied an NBA record by losing 26 straight games. "Id definitely trade this award to be in the playoffs in a second," Carter-Williams said. "Coaches tell me to watch the playoffs to look at how different the game is and I do see it. Its a whole different season. This game is about winning. I hope I set a positive example about leading your team in a good way no matter what. I hope guys that come in know the core of this team takes things seriously and we want to build something special." Carter-Williams received 104 of a possible 124 first-place votes. The Orlando Magics Victor Oladipo finished second and Trey Burke of the Utah Jazz was third. "Michael made an immediate impact on the court this season, but his dedication, professionalism and contributions to both the organization and the Philadelphia community make him all the more deserving of this award," Sixers owner Josh Harris said in a statement. "This is an incredibly proud moment for the 76ers and one we are thrilled to share with him, the city and our fans." Allen Iverson is the only other player in Sixers history to win the award. The 11th overall pick from Syracuse in last years draft, Carter-Williams is the first player picked 10th or lower to win since Mark Jackson did it in 1987 for New York. "Michael performed and represented the Sixers organization this past season in a manner befittting of the 2013-14 NBA Rookie of the Year," said co-managing owner David Blitzer.dddddddddddd "He never stopped working from the moment he burst onto the national scene in our home opener through the final horn at last game of the season, and we are proud to congratulate him on this well-deserved award." Carter-Williams had a spectacular debut, posting 22 points, 12 assists and nine steals to lead the Sixers to a stunning 114-110 victory over the two-time defending champion Miami Heat. He was the second rookie after Shaquille ONeill to be the Eastern Conference Player of the Week in his first week in the NBA. "By opening night, it was clear to us that Michael belonged," Sixers President Sam Hinkie said. "This award marks a lifetime of hard work. ... We congratulate him on this unique achievement and look forward to helping him put in the work necessary to garner even greater success in the future." First-year coach Brett Brown had enough confidence in Carter-Williams to give him the responsibility of leading the team on the court. They traded away All-Star point guard Jrue Holiday to clear the way for Carter-Williams. With an eye toward the future, the Sixers traded Evan Turner, Spencer Hawes and Lavoy Allen in February. They have a 19.9 per cent chance at getting the No. 1 pick in this years draft and are also owed New Orleans lottery pick -- unless the Pelicans win a top-3 pick. With possibly two first-round selections, Carter-Williams and 2013 lottery pick Nerlens Noel returning from a knee injury, the Sixers could be a contender soon. "When I first got here, I really didnt know what to expect," Carter-Williams said. "I am not a person that trusts a lot of people. My circle is really close, especially when it comes to basketball, because everyone has an opinion. But I have a lot of trust in coach Brown." ' ' '