Andy Murray marked his return to the top 100 for the first time since 2018
Former world number one and three-time Grand Slam winner Andy Murray had too much court guile for world number 31 Bublik who won his maiden ATP title in Montpellier at the weekend.
Andy Murray marked his return to the top 100 for the first time since 2018 with a 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 win over Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik at the Rotterdam tournament . Former world number one, and three-time major winner, Murray had too much court guile for world number 31 Bublik who won his maiden ATP title in Montpellier at the weekend.
“There were some tough moments in the first set for both of us,” said wildcard Murray, now at 95 in the world.
“I just managed to come through at the end of it. Some great returns off some big second serves from him at the end and I did a good job.
“It’s not easy playing against someone like that, huge serves, a lot of drop shots and you’ve got to keep your focus and I did that well tonight.” [via sky sports]
Felix Auger-Aliassime shows classy gesture towards Andy Murray in straight-sets win over the Scot at Rotterdam Open 2022
Felix Auger-Aliassime defeated Andy Murray 6-3, 6-4 in the second round of the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament on Thursday.
The Canadian youngster not only booked his place in the quarterfinals with this win but also won the hearts of fans with a classy gesture towards the Brit late into the match.
Auger-Aliassime, known for his generous nature, led 6-3, 5-4, 40-0 when Murray abruptly halted play after his hat flew off his head. The Canadian did not notice this and carried on with the point, eventually winning it.
However, after unintentionally halting play, the three-time Major champion loudly conveyed to Auger-Aliassime that he was not trying to cheat by saying, “I’m not trying to cheat.”
After being explained the situation, the 21-year-old agreed to replay the point even though he had virtually clinched the win. The World No. 9’s move is being seen as an immense mark of respect towards Murray, given that he had all but pocketed the match.
“There were some tough moments in the first set for both of us,” said Murray. “I just managed to come through at the end of it – hit some great returns off some big second serves at the end and did a good job.
“It’s not easy playing against someone like that – he’s going for huge serves, a lot of drop shots and at times is looking disinterested but is still trying. You have to keep your focus and I did that well.” [vial BBC.com]
Despite winning in straight sets, the third seed was kept on court for nearly 100 minutes, shining a light on Murray’s never-say-die spirit.
During his on-court interview, the Canadian explained that he had prepared himself for a grueling encounter from the get-go. Auger-Aliassime reckons Murray brought out his “best tennis,” which is why he expressed his relief at prevailing in straight sets.
Andu Murray was ranked world No.1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for 41 weeks, and finished as the year-end No. 1 in 2016. He has won three Grand Slam singles titles, two at Wimbledon and one at the US Open, and has reached eleven major finals.
Murray was ranked in the top 10 for all but one month from July 2008 through October 2017, and finished no lower than No. 4 in eight of the nine year-end rankings during that span. Murray has won 46 ATP singles titles, including 14 ATP Masters 1000 events.
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