Second seed Dominic Thiem eased into the third round of the US Open on Thursday with a straight-sets win on his birthday while third seed Daniil Medvedev made light work of his second-round match against Christoper O’Connell.
The Austrian celebrated turning 27 by defeating India’s Sumit Nagal 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 inside an empty Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The Russian progressed to the third round 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 at the expense of the 116th-ranked Australian inside the US National Tennis Center’s Louis Armstrong Stadium.
The world No 3 Thiem will play 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic in round three. Cilic, seeded 31st, took four sets to overcome Slovakian Norbert Gombos 6-3, 1-6, 7-6, 7-5.
US Open 2020: Sumit Nagal out in round two after straight-sets loss to second seed Dominic Thiem
Andy Murray crashed out in straight sets to 15th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime.
The former world number one was demolished by the 20-year-old Canadian 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 inside Arthur Ashe Stadium in 2hr 8min.
Murray, playing in his first singles Grand Slam since the 2019 Australian Open, had rallied to win a thrilling five-set match against Japan’s 49th-ranked Yoshihito Nishioka the first round on Tuesday.
But the Scotsman, who is trying to rebuild his career after an injury-ravaged three years, was unable to repeat the heroics against the big-serving 21st-ranked Auger-Aliassime who dominated from start to finish.
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The Canadian smashed 24 aces and 52 winners in a one-sided affair. Murray mustered just two aces and nine winners. Felix Auger-Aliassime amassed 97 winning points compared to Murray’s 68.
Fourteenth seed and last year’s semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov tumbled out at the second-round stage along with Milos Roanic, the 25th seed and last week’s runner-up to Novak Djokovic at Western & Southern Open.
The Bulgarian fell to 66th-ranked Hungarian Marton Fucsovics in five sets. Fucsovics downed Dimitrov, a semi-finalist at Flushing Meadows last year, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/4), 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 in 4hr 50min.
Dimitrov became the second-highest men’s seed to exit the tournament after Chile’s Cristian Garin, seeded 13th, lost in five sets on Wednesday.
Canadian Raonic was taken down 6-7, 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 by his countryman Vasek Pospisil.
Results
2nd rd
Matteo Berrettini (ITA x6) bt Ugo Humbert (FRA) 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (8/6)
Casper Ruud (NOR x30) bt Emil Ruusuvuori (FIN) 6-4, 6-3, 3-2 retired
Salvatore Caruso (ITA) bt Ernesto Escobedo (USA) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4
Andrey Rublev (RUS x10) bt Gregoire Barrere (FRA) 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4)
Marton Fucsovics (HUN) bt Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x14) 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/4), 3-6, 6-4, 6-1
Frances Tiafoe (USA) bt John Millman (AUS) 7-6 (8/6), 3-6, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3
Jeffrey Wolf (USA) bt Roberto Carballes (ESP) 6-2, 6-4, 6-3
Daniil Medvedev (RUS x3) bt Christopher O’Connell (AUS) 6-3, 6-2, 6-4
Roberto Bautista (ESP x8) bt Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
Vasek Pospisil (CAN) bt Milos Raonic (CAN x25) 6-7 (1/7), 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3
Alex De Minaur (AUS x21) bt Richard Gasquet (FRA) 6-4, 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 7-5
Karen Khachanov (RUS x11) bt Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) 6-3, 6-4, 6-1
Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN x15) bt Andy Murray (GBR) 6-2, 6-3, 6-4
Marin Cilic (CRO x31) bt Norbert Gombos (SVK) 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (7/2), 7-5
Dominic Thiem (AUT x2) bt Sumit Nagal (IND) 6-3, 6-3, 6-2
With AFP Inputs
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