Murray ramps up ATP comeback
ANDY Murray ground out his most significant victory since major hip surgery with a 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-1 win over Tennys Sandgren at the Zhuhai Championships in southern Guangdong Province yesterday.
This was the former No. 1’s first triumph in a singles match on the ATP Tour since the 32-year-old had a career-saving operation in January.
A three-time Grand Slam winner but now ranked 413 in the world, the Briton has competed mostly in doubles since and recently played singles on the lowerlevel Challenger Tour.
He faces seventh seed Alex de Minaur of Australia in the second round after coming through a physically demanding test lasting more than 2-1/2 hours.
Murray looked exhausted at the end, slumping in his chair and puffing out his cheeks.
There were glimpses of Murray at his best as he sealed the first set in 41 minutes after the 69th-ranked Sandgren planted a backhand wide.
Murray, finally free of hip pain and now attempting to build up his creaking body for the rigors of elite tennis, gave a subtle fist-pump.
Murray squandered match point in the second-set tie break as Sandgren forced a deciding set.
But the American folded in the third, seemingly affected by a foot injury which required extensive strapping with him 0-3 down in the decider.
Victory was a small measure of revenge for Murray, who lost to the 28-year-old last month in his second singles tournament since his return.
After Zhuhai, the China Open in Beijing and the Shanghai Masters, Murray will return to Europe to compete in Antwerp, making it a testing next month on the long road to rehabilitation.
Meanwhile, Simona Halep said that winning her first Wimbledon title this year meant “everything”, but she was determined to have a better Asian swing than in past years after an emphatic start to her Wuhan Open campaign yesterday.
Halep suffered opening-round exits in three of her previous five appearances at the Chinese event — including the last two seasons — but was dominant in a 6-3, 6-2 triumph over Wimbledon semifinalist Barbora Strycova to reach the last 16.
A solid contender for clinching one of the six remaining spots in the WTA Finals in Shenzhen, sixth-ranked Halep also has a shot at finishing the year as world No. 1 for a third consecutive time with a strong finish to the season in Asia.
“Very, very tough goals honestly after winning Wimbledon, I was a little bit let’s say more relaxed in results, making big results. But I’m still motivated. I’m working hard,” said the fourth seed, who next faces Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina for a place in the quarterfinals.
Halep skipped past Strycova in just 85 minutes yesterday, benefiting from her Czech opponent’s 30 unforced errors.
Elsewhere, reigning WTA Finals champion Elina Svitolina took an important step forward to lock down a place in Shenzhen by overcoming Spaniard Garbine Muguruza 7-5, 6-2 in round two.
A semifinalist at Wimbledon and the US Open this year, Svitolina is competing for a fifth consecutive week — while managing a lingering knee injury — as she continues to chase the opportunity to defend her Finals crown.
“I am not a robot, but I am extremely motivated to play in Shenzhen,” said the Ukrainian No. 3 seed. “When I step on court, every single match matters”.
French Open champion Ashleigh Barty clung on to her No.1 ranking by rallying back to defeat Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, and set up a thirdround clash with American Sofia Kenin.
A loss for Barty on Tuesday would have seen Karolina Pliskova replace the Australian at the top of the rankings next Monday.
The pair are locked in a battle for the summit this week in Wuhan, but Barty’s opening victory here means Pliskova must at least reach the semifinals for a shot at leapfrogging her rival. The second-seeded Czech moved into the quarterfinals with 6-3, 6-3 victory over American teen Amanda Anisimova.
Wang Qiang, the eighth seed, had the same 6-3, 6-3 scoreline as she breezed past another Czech Marie Bouzkova while 10th-seeded American Sloane Stephens outlasted Wang Yafan 6-2, 3-6, 6-1.
(AFP)