Andy Murray is through to the second round EPA/Justin Lane

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CHILEAN tennis player Paul Capdeville claims he 'has some chances' to beat his former training partner Andy Murray when the pair meet in the second round of the US Open.

The world No 87 is ranked some 85 places below the Scot, who is seeded second for the tournament, but the 26-year-old South American used to practise with Murray when they were based at the Sanchez-Casal Academy in Barcelona, so he knows his game inside out.

Now they will meet for the first time in professional tennis, Capdeville having beaten Romanian Victor Crivoi in straight sets on Tuesday with Murray following him into round two at Flushing Meadows with victory over Latvian Ernests Gulbis.

"I practised with him for one year, five years ago, and I know him," Capdeville said. "We practised for a lot of time and played together.

"He's a different guy now, No 2, and he's won a lot of tournaments.

"He's so smart that if you make a shot he'll have a good reaction - he runs very well on the court.

"But I'll try to give it my best shot and I don't see why I can't win.

"Andy's a very good hardcourt player. He won in Miami and in Canada [this year] and plays so great on hard courts. But I can play and I can win.

"I feel good, I'm in good form now and I think if I play with confidence and make my shots I have some chances"

"I feel good, I'm in good form now and I think if I play with confidence and make my shots I have some chances."

Having known Murray as a teenager, Capdeville said he admired Murray's rapid rise to the No 2 ranking in the world.

"When we were practising together, they were saying about him, 'he can be No 1, he can play like Roger [Federer]', and he has got to No 2 so fast," he said.

"I think maybe he would have got to this point not so fast, but now he works a lot, he travels with good coaches and good physical trainers and he's a good pro."

With Murray so high in the rankings, he is likely to be handed a return appearance on one of the two main show courts at the Billie Jean King National Centre - either Arthur Ashe Stadium or Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Capdeville said he was used to playing on the big stage, having met champion Roger Federer in the 2007 US Open, when the grand slam record-holder ran out a straight-sets winner in their second-round encounter.

He added: "It's not a new experience for me. Two years ago I played with Roger on Arthur Ashe. He won, but playing on Arthur Ashe is so different to playing on court 15.

"I think if I play with Andy it will be on Arthur Ashe, because he's No 2."

Capdeville has not progressed past the second round in a grand slam in 10 attempts since his US Open debut in 2005.

Yet he feels this time will be different, saying: "I've played a lot of times in New York, this is my fifth or sixth time and before I've always had to come through the qualifiers.

"This is my first time in the main draw and maybe that's the difference because last year when I played second round it was my fourth match (of the week) and I was so tired.

"Now I feel great with a lot of energy and motivation. I feel great in the US Open."