US Open, day 2 men’s roundup: Murray gets epic figthback win on Slam return; Medvedev, Thiem advance

Andy Murray showed the fighting qualities that he was renowned for in his prime, battling back from two sets down to progress to round two of his comeback Grand Slam at the US Open on Tuesday.

Playing in his first singles Grand Slam in 18 months because of injury and the coronavirus pandemic, Murray dug deep to prevail in a 4hr 39min bruiser against Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka, winning 4-6, 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/4), 6-4.

“That’s by far the most tennis I’ve played since 2019,” said Murray, who lost in five sets in the first round of the 2019 Australian Open to Roberto Bautista Agut.

Last year’s finalist Daniil Medvedev and second seed Dominic Thiem moved into the second round of as they both seek a maiden Grand Slam.

Russian third seed Medvedev swatted aside Argentina’s Federico Delbonis 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 in an evening match at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Earlier, number two seed Thiem progressed in a match cut short when opponent Jaume Munar retired after the second set.

Thiem appeared to be heading towards victory after taking a two sets to love lead on the Louis Armstrong Stadium. Munar abandoned before the start of the third set, with Austria’s Thiem leading 7-6 (8/6), 6-3.

Thiem now faces India’s Sumit Nagal, who became the first Indian man since 2013 to the reach the second round of a Grand Slam event with a 6-1, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 win over Bradley Klahn of the United States.

US Open 2020: Sumit Nagal becomes first Indian in seven years to win singles match at a Grand Slam

Medvedev will take on Australia’s Christopher O’Connell the day after.

Fourteenth seed Grigor Dimitrov also progressed to the second round with a convincing straight-sets win on Tuesday. He thumped American Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-3, 6-1.

Men’s sixth seed Matteo Berrettini, a semi-finalist at the 2019 US Open, beat Japan’s Go Soeda 7-6 (7/5), 6-1, 6-4.

Britain’s Dan Evans also enjoyed an opening round victory with a solid 6-2, 6-1, 7-6 (7/5) defeat of Brazilian Thiago Seyboth Wild.

And Marin Cilic of Croatia required five sets to oust American Denis Kudla 6-7 (3/7), 3-6, 7-5, 7-5, 6-3.

Murray’s fightback

Murray’s comeback appeared to be heading for disaster when he went 3-1 down in the third set, appearing all-but-certain to be heading for an embarrassing straight-sets exit.

But showing the grit and determination that led him to three Grand Slam wins during his peak, Murray hauled himself into a 5-4 lead before taking the set on a tie-break.

By then, Murray was playing more aggressively, forcing Nishioka onto the back foot and into errors of his own.

The Scot’s fist pumps became more pronounced and his roars of “Come on!” more audible in spectator-free Arthur Ashe Stadium as he took the fourth set.

The first four games of set four went to serve until a Murray double fault put him a break down.

Murray immediately broke back though, a delicate back-handed lob from deep making the score 3-3, before breaking again for game, set, match.

Results

1st rd

Matteo Berrettini (ITA x6) bt Go Soeda (JPN) 7-6 (7/5), 6-1, 6-4

Ugo Humbert (FRA) bt Yuichi Sugita (JPN) 6-3, 6-4, 6-3

Emil Ruusuvuori (FIN) bt Aljaz Bedene (SLO) 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 4-6, 6-1

Casper Ruud (NOR x30) bt Mackenzie McDonald (USA) 4-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2

Ernesto Escobedo (USA) bt Kamil Majchrzak (POL) 7-6 (7/3), 6-2, 6-3

Salvatore Caruso (ITA) bt James Duckworth (AUS) 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, 6-2

Gregoire Barrere (FRA) bt Taro Daniel (JPN) 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1

Andrey Rublev (RUS x10) bt Jeremy Chardy (FRA) 6-4, 6-4, 6-3

Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x14) bt Tommy Paul (USA) 6-4, 6-3, 6-1

Marton Fucsovics (HUN) bt Hugo Dellien (BOL) 6-3, 6-3, 6-1

Frances Tiafoe (USA) bt Andreas Seppi (ITA) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5

John Millman (AUS) bt Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO x22) 6-1, 6-4, 6-4

Jeffrey Wolf (USA) bt Guido Pella (ARG x29) 6-2, 0-6, 6-3, 6-3

Roberto Carballes (ESP) bt Feliciano Lopez (ESP) 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 6-3

Christopher O’Connell (AUS) bt Laslo Djere (SRB) 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4

Daniil Medvedev (RUS x3) bt Federico Del Bonis (ARG) 6-1, 6-2, 6-4

Roberto Bautista (ESP x8) bt Tennys Sandgren (USA) 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3)

Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB) bt Gianluca Mager (ITA) 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (6/8), 3-6, 6-2

Vasek Pospisil (CAN) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 7-6 (7/4), 7-5, 7-6 (7/3)

Milos Raonic (CAN x25) bt Leonardo Mayer (ARG) 6-3, 6-2, 6-3

Alex De Minaur (AUS x21) bt Andrej Martin (SVK) 6-4, 6-3, 7-5

Richard Gasquet (FRA) bt Ivo Karlovic (CRO) 7-6 (7/0), 7-6 (7/4), 6-1

Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) bt Sam Querrey (USA) 6-4, 7-6 (8/6), 6-2

Karen Khachanov (RUS x11) bt Jannik Sinner (ITA) 3-6, 6-7 (7/9), 6-2, 6-0, 7-6 (7/4)

Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN x15) bt Thiago Monteiro (BRA) 6-3, 6-7 (7/9), 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (8/6)

Andy Murray (SCO) bt Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) 4-6, 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/4), 6-4

Corentin Moutet (FRA) bt Jiri Vesely (CZE) 6-4, 6-4, 7-5

Daniel Evans (GBR x23) bt Thiago Wild (BRA) 6-2, 6-1, 7-6 (7/5)

Marin Cilic (CRO x31) bt Denis Kudla (USA) 6-7 (3/7), 3-6, 7-5, 7-5, 6-3

Norbert Gombos (SVK) bt Radu Albot (MDA) 6-4, 6-1, 6-4

Sumit Nagal (IND) bt Bradley Klahn (USA) 6-1, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1

Dominic Thiem (AUT x2) bt Jaume Munar (ESP) 7-6 (8/6), 6-3, 0-0 abandon

With AFP Inputs