NEW YORK: Former champion Andy Murray produced an astonishing fightback to outlast Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka 4-6 4-6 7-6(5) 7-6(4) 6-4 in his long-awaited return to Grand Slam singles action in the US Open first round yesterday.
The 33-year-old Briton, contesting a singles match at a major for the first since the 2019 Australian Open, appeared to be heading for an early exit as a fearless Nishioka outplayed him for two sets on a virtually empty Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Yet as he has so often done in his career Murray simply refused to accept defeat. Desperately trying to spark himself into life, Murray recovered from a break down in the third set and saved a match point late in the fourth.
At the start of the fifth set he required treatment on his battered toes and then slipped a break behind again before roaring back to finally crush 49th-ranked Nishioka’s spirit and claim victory in four hours 38 minutes.
It was Murray’s 10th win from two sets down and showed that despite undergoing two hip surgeries, he remains one of the sport’s great warriors.
Austrian second seed Dominic Thiem advanced to the second round when Spaniard Jaume Munar retired after dropping the first two sets.
Thiem, who reached his third Grand Slam final at this year’s Australian Open where he lost to Novak Djokovic, was leading 7-6(6) 6-3 when Munar, who had slipped on the baseline midway through the second set, ended the match.
Up next for Thiem will be a showdown with India’s Sumit Nagal, who beat Bradley Klahn 6-1 6-3 3-6 6-1.
On Monday, Novak Djokovic got his campaign to win a fourth US Open, and 18th Grand Slam title overall, off to a flying start by beating Damir Dzumhur 6-1 6-4 6-1 to advance to the second round.
In the women’s section yesterday, Spain’s Garbine Muguruza overcame a sluggish start to collect a snappy 6-4 6-4 first round win over Japan’s Nao Hibino.
Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin produced a dominant display to dispatch Belgian Yanina Wickmayer 6-2 6-2 in the opening round.
On Monday, former champion Japan’s Naomi Osaka had to dig deep to beat compatriot Misaki Doi 6-2 5-7 6-2 in her opener. Next up for Osaka is Camila Giorgi, who beat Alison van Uytvanck 2-6 6-1 7-5.
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