No heroic Murray comeback this time
TENNIS
NEW YORK: Canadian young gun Felix AugerAliassime blasted past former champion Andy Murray 62, 63, 64 at the US Open yesterday, ending the Briton’s Grand Slam comeback in the second round at New York.
Murray, who has had two hip surgeries and was playing in his first major since the 2019 Australian Open, had endured a tough fivesetter against Yoshihito Nishioka in the first round and was made to move all around the court by AugerAliassime.
With fatigue building towards the end of the match, Murray was unable to launch another comeback, as the 15thseeded AugerAliassime closed out the contest in style.
He did not face a single break point on his serve, hit 24 aces and an incredible 52 winners compared to the nine managed by the Scot.
‘‘It’s an amazing feeling. I wish the fans were here but . . . it’s funny, life is funny because I came here in 2011, I got tickets for a match and I watched Andy Murray and Feliciano Lopez playing third round here,’’ AugerAliassime said in his oncourt interview.
‘‘So it’s crazy that nine years later I’m here playing him and getting a win.’’
Austria’s Dominic Thiem, who is targeting his maiden Grand Slam title, came up with a dominating performance on his 27th birthday to beat India’s Sumit Nagal 63, 63, 62 and set up a meeting with 2014 champion Marin Cilic.
Russian third seed Daniil Medvedev also had an easy outing on a rainhit day, as he powered past 116thranked Australian Christopher O’Connell 63, 62, 64.
In the women’s draw, Serena Williams battled to a 62, 64 victory over Russia’s Margarita Gasparyan as she continued her quest for a recordequalling 24th Grand Slam title.
‘‘I always feel like I’m not perfect unless I’m perfect,’’ Williams said.
‘‘That’s not a fun way to live your career and live your life,’’ she said.
‘‘You can’t win every single match every time, and that’s kind of the pressure I put on myself. It’s just completely unrealistic,’’ she said, adding some of her earliest memories were those of selftorment over her perceived shortcomings.
Up next for Williams is fellow American and 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens, who cruised past Olga Govortsova, of Belarus, 62, 62.
Former world No 1 Victoria Azarenka, beaten by Aryna Sabalenka in the opening round at Flushing Meadows last year, downed her Belarusian compatriot 61, 63.
She was joined in the next round by American Madison Keys, a runnerup in 2017 and semifinalist in 2018, who beat Spain’s Aliona Bolsova 62, 61.
Spanish 10th seed Garbine Muguruza was knocked out 75, 63 by unranked Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova in the second round.
Playing in her first tournament in more than three years following a maternity break, Pironkova won 93% of her first serve points, breaking the twice Grand Slam champion three times.