LAST UPDATE | 1 Sep 2023
ANDY MURRAY suffered a demoralising straight-sets loss to Bulgarian 19th seed Grigor Dimitrov in the second round of the US Open.
The 36-year-old Murray, the 2012 US Open champion, went down 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 to Dimitrov, and has not been past the last 32 of a Grand Slam in six years.
Murray’s build-up to the tournament was hampered by an abdominal injury sustained in Toronto earlier this month which forced him to miss the Cincinnati Open.
Former world number three Dimitrov, who saved three match points in the opening round, meets 2020 runner-up Alexander Zverev for a place in the last 16.
“I was expecting honestly five sets in a way, so I was constantly trying to remind myself I was here for the long haul,” said Dimitrov, who won a 63-minute first set to take charge of the match.
“We’ve played multiple times, he’s a tremendous competitor. I’m very happy with the fight.”
Dimitrov reached the semi-finals in 2019 but had fallen in the second round in each of the past three US Opens.
“I had great memories in 2019. I would love to repeat that and why not go further,” he said.
Elsewhere, Daniil Medvedev recovered from a mini meltdown to beat Australia’s Christopher O’Connell 6-2, 6-2, 6-7 (6/8), 6-2 and reach the US Open third round.
The third seed and 2021 champion looked to be cruising into the last 32 in New York for the seventh year running after moving a break up in the third set against his 69th-ranked opponent.
But O’Connell hit back and then saved two match points in the tie-break as Medvedev grew increasingly rattled, the Russian double-faulting twice to send the contest to a fourth set.
In a sign of Medvedev’s fraying nerves he called the doctor out after the third set, sarcastically replying “Yeah, I lost the set” when asked if he was experiencing any symptoms.
Medvedev regrouped and surged 4-1 ahead, saving three break points in the seventh game as O’Connell received treatment to his knee, before finally sealing victory past 1am local time Friday.
“Tough match. I don’t know why but one moment in the match he decided to play much better. I don’t know why was the reason, but it became much tougher for me,” said Medvedev.
“I had opportunities in the third (set) and I managed to use them in the fourth.
“You kind of don’t know when you get frustrated, you never know you could be. I felt today maybe it helped me a little bit.”
He next plays Argentina’s Sebastian Baez, the world number 32 and winner of 12 matches in a row following his titles at Kitzbuehel and Winston-Salem.
Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz eased into a last 32 meeting with Britain’s Dan Evans after dispatching South Africa’s Lloyd Harris 6-3, 6-1, 7-6 (7/4) in 2hr 28min on Arthur Ashe.
It means Alcaraz is just two wins away from a potential quarter-final collision with Italian sixth seed Jannick Sinner, who continued his serene progress through the draw with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 defeat of compatriot Lorenzo Sonego.
Last year, Alcaraz and Sinner produced an epic five-set quarter-final classic that was not completed until 2.50am local time – the latest ever finish in US Open history.
Sinner will play 2016 US Open champion Stan Wawrinka in the third round on Saturday. Wawrinka, 38, rolled back the years to eliminate Argentine No.30 seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-6 (8/6), 6-7 (7/9), 6-3, 6-2.
Germany’s 12th seed Alexander Zverev is also potentially lurking in Sinner’s path before a quarter-final with Alcaraz.
Zverev booked his place in the third round with a 7-6 (7/1), 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 defeat of compatriot Daniel Altmaier.
In the women’s draw, Britain’s Jodie Burrage saw her tournament come to an end after a one-sided defeat to second seed Sabalenka of Belarus, the reigning Australian Open champion. Sabalenka prevailed 6-3, 6-2 in 1hr 14min.
Sabalenka, 25, has reached the semi-finals or better at the past four Grand Slams and can replace Iga Swiatek as world number one if she matches the Pole’s result in New York.
Another of 2023′s Grand Slam winners, Wimbledon champion Vondrousova of the Czech Republic, could meet Sabalenka in the semi-finals.
Vondrousova, who made history by becoming the first unseeded woman to win Wimbledon in July, had too much firepower for Italy’s Martina Trevisan, winning 6-2, 6-2 in 1hr 20min.
One of the players likely targeting Vondrousova is third seed Jessica Pegula, who was barely troubled on her way to a 6-3, 6-1 win over Patricia Maria Tig of Romania. US hope Pegula, who is seeded to meet Vondrousova in the last eight, faces Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina in the next round.
Meanwhile Tunisia’s fifth seed Ons Jabeur, struggling with a bout of flu, was put through the grinder in a 7-6 (9/7), 4-6, 6-3 defeat of Czech teenager Linda Noskova.
– © AFP 2023, updated at 08.00 with overnight results
