The 35-year-old Scotsman fell to A hundred and fifteenth-ranked Ymer 7-6 (10/8), 4-6, 6-1 after two hours and 50 minutes on the US Open tuneup match.
Andy Murray of Great Britain walks off the court docket after dropping to Mikael Ymer of Sweden throughout Day 3 of the Citi Open at Rock Creek Tennis Center on 1 August 2022 in Washington, DC. Picture: Rob Carr/Getty Images/AFP
WASHINGTON – Three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray of Britain crashed out in the opening spherical of the ATP and WTA Washington Open on Monday, falling to Sweden’s Mikael Ymer.
The 35-year-old Scotsman fell to A hundred and fifteenth-ranked Ymer 7-6 (10/8), 4-6, 6-1 after two hours and 50 minutes on the US Open tuneup match.
“I’m excited,” stated Ymer, who saved 4 set factors in the primary set. “A lot left to do but it’s a very good start of the American swing.”
World quantity 50 Murray, the 2012 and 2016 Olympic champion, is making an attempt to earn a seeding on the US Open, which he gained a decade in the past.
“It’s still possible,” Murray stated. “I would just need to have a good run in Canada or Cincinnati really. It’s pretty straightforward if I was to make a quarterfinal or a semifinal, which right now – after a loss like that – doesn’t seem realistic.
“I do really feel like if I play very properly that I may try this. But I’ll have to actually play higher than I did right now.”
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, 6-4.
“It was good to have the gang behind me,” Williams said. “Definitely a fantastic expertise. It’s my first match so I did not suppose I performed properly a number of the occasions.
“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.”
Williams had not performed a WTA singles match since falling to Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei 49 weeks in the past in Chicago.
Ymer, who misplaced his solely profession ATP remaining final August in Winston-Salem, will subsequent face fifteenth seed Aslan Karatsev.
Ymer gained 75 p.c of his first-serve factors, 49-of-65, and smashed 37 winners previous Murray, who made solely 25 with 35 unforced errors, 5 greater than Ymer.
Murray had a set level in the twelfth recreation of the primary set however despatched a backhand vast and Ymer held right into a tiebreaker.
Murray had three extra set factors in the tiebreak however Ymer smashed two forehand winners and a forehand volley winner to drag degree at 7-7, prompting Murray to toss his racquet in frustration. Ymer, 23, took the set on a backhand volley winner.
“Had chances in the first set to close that out,” Murray stated. “Didn’t get it. Yeah, frustrating.”
While Murray clawed again to pressure a 3rd set, Ymer raced to a 4-0 lead, they exchanged breaks on double faults and Ymer ended the match on a backhand crosscourt winner.
Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep, coming off a Wimbledon semi-final run, beat Spanish qualifier Cristina Bucsa 6-3, 7-5.
“Always the first round is difficult when you change the surface,” third seed Halep stated. “I know it’s going to take time to make the game more solid.”
US high seed Jessica Pegula cruised 6-2, 6-2, over US wildcard Hailey Baptiste.
Pegula gained the latest WTA Washington occasion in 2019 after two missed years as a result of Covid-19.
“It definitely feels weird,” Pegula stated. “It’s great to be back.”
EDMUND WINS ATP RETURN
Britain’s Kyle Edmund made a triumphant return to ATP singles after three left knee surgical procedures and a 20-month layoff by defeating Japanese qualifier Yosuke Watanuki 6-4, 7-6 (10/8).
Edmund, who subsequent faces British sixteenth seed Daniel Evans, performed in his first tour-level singles match since October 2020 at Vienna, a month earlier than his first operation.
“I didn’t find it easy today,” stated Edmund. “I hung in there and I got my reward in the end.”