Biggies Venus, Murray are beaten in opening rounds
Washington, Aug. 2: Three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray of Britain crashed out in the opening round of the ATP and WTA Washington Open on Monday, falling to Sweden’s Mikael Ymer.
The 35-year-old Scotsman fell to 115th-ranked Ymer 7-6 (10/8), 4-6, 6-1 after two hours and 50 minutes at the US Open tune-up tournament.
“I’m excited. A lot left to do but it’s a very good start of the American swing,” said Ymer, who saved four set points in the first set.
World number 50 Murray, the 2012 and 2016 Olympic champion, is trying to earn a seeding at the US
Open, which he won a decade ago.
Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams, playing her first singles match in nearly a year, was also eliminated in the opening round, falling to Canadian qualifier Rebecca Marino 4-6, 6-1, 64.
“Just trying to shake off some rust. That’s just to be expected. All I can do is just play another tournament and play better,” Venus said.
Venus had not played a WTA singles match since falling to Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei 49 weeks ago in Chicago.
Ymer will next face 15th seed Aslan Karatsev.
Ymer won 75 per cent of his first-serve points, 49-of65, and smashed 37 winners past Murray, who made only 25 with 35 unforced errors, five more than Ymer.
Murray had a set point in the 12th game of the first set but sent a backhand wide and Ymer held into a tiebreaker.
Murray had three more set points in the tiebreak but Ymer smashed two forehand winners and a forehand volley winner to pull level at 7-7, prompting Murray to toss his racquet in frustration. Ymer, 23, took the set on a backhand volley winner. —