A decade after his maiden grand slam win on these grounds, he put together another strong result. Murray played a clean, disciplined match, eliminating No. 24 Francisco Cerúndolo and his nuclear forehand in stifling New York humidity to reach the second round of the US Open 7-5, 6-3, 6-3. . The win marks Murray’s first straight sets Grand Slam victory since Wimbledon in 2017, when he was ranked No.1. “It felt like five sets,” he said afterward, laughing. “Very, very difficult conditions today. Very humid and hot. Really happy with the way it went. It’s not easy, he had a very good season.” Despite the fact that Murray entered the match with a good chance, it was not a simple affair. Cerúndolo, a 24-year-old Argentine, has gained more than 100 ranking spots this year and reached his recent career-high ranking of 24 after starting the season ranked 127th. His successes include a semifinal run at the Miami Open Masters 1000 in March and have been driven by his huge forehand and consistent athleticism. The summer had started promisingly for Murray as he produced some of the best tennis of the last five years in Stuttgart, but he suffered an abdominal injury in the final against Matteo Berretini and lost to a spectacular serve from John Isner in the second round. of Wimbledon. He came into the US hard court swing hoping to earn a US Open seeding, only to struggle with cramps throughout. Despite the difficult conditions, this time there was no sign of physical problems. “I did well,” Murray said. “Mentally it’s not easy to go into a five-set match in these conditions, as it has been for me the last few weeks and I did well. I did well physically and mentally to put it to the back of my mind and find a way to cope. So I was very happy with that.” Murray immediately dragged Cerúndolo into long exchanges, maintaining depth and preventing him from using his big forehand. He first served for the set at 5-3, but three consecutive errors cost him the game. As Cerúndolo served to stay in the set at 4-5, Murray hit a drop volley that bounced twice before his opponent got to it, but the umpire didn’t see it and awarded the point to the Argentine. While Murray argued with the referee, the bounce was shown twice on the big screen. The entire stadium stopped to watch the video in silence, and the confirmation of the second bounce drew widespread boos from the crowd. Serudolo then decided to concede the point. During their handshake, Murray praised his opponent for his sportsmanship. Andy Murray is back on his way to an impressive victory. Photo: Kena Betancur/AFP/Getty Images “What he did was outstanding, and I don’t think many players on tour would do that,” Murray said. “Fair play to him. And I told him on the net. He didn’t have to do that either.” Murray continued to apply pressure with steady, deep and early returns, and finally broke serve for the set thanks to a double fault on set point from Cerundolo. With the first set secured, he eased through the match to record a solid victory. In the end, his only issue was his failure to serve out the first and second sets at the first opportunity. After a bitter summer, Murray took a hopeful step forward. There is certainly evidence that the 35-year-old is still capable of beating great players. he has already done so, earning four top 20 wins in the past year. He started this season with a similar win, taking out 21st seed Nikoloz Basilashvili in the first round of the Australian Open, but Murray then played a horrible second-round match and lost in straight sets to 120th-ranked Taro Daniel the season. . While Murray has been able to deliver good individual performances at times, he has rarely been able to build on them with a block of consistent wins. The big question is whether his form and body can hold up over a series of matches and tournaments, allowing him to gain momentum and move deeper into the draws. Having taken over Cerúndolo’s run as the 24th seed, Murray now has a chance. “I’m basically taking his spot in the lottery now,” he said. “The thing to do if you don’t have seeds is to pass some seeds. I’ve pulled a lot of them in the slams I’ve played over the last few years. Did you win some of them? apparently lost some too. It was not an easy first race and I did well to achieve it.” Murray will next face Emilio Nava, a 20-year-old American wild card, for a place in the third round. Nava, ranked 203, claimed his first grand slam main draw victory by defeating John Millman 7-6 (7), 4-6, 7-6 (4), 1-6, 6-1.
