Murray crashes out of Open with Taylor Fritz loss as local weather protest halts play
Andy Murray misplaced 7-6, 3-6, 4-6 to American star Taylor Fritz on Friday in an action-packed match within the final 16 of the Citi Open as he avoids a doubleheader which may have seen the Brit additionally tackle Jordan Thompson in a while the identical day. In Murray’s first event since his Wimbledon second-round defeat to Stefanos Tsitsipas, he was disrupted by local weather protests that brought on the match to be paused as as soon as once more tennis fell sufferer to disruption – much like demonstrations final month at SW19.
In a primary set that took almost an hour-and-a-half to play, Fritz broke Murray on the primary recreation – a lot to the veteran’s frustrations as he smashed his racket into the floor in frustration shortly after letting out loud shrieks as he was furious together with his service.
The three-time Grand Slam champion might have felt lucky to nonetheless be within the set having gained a few video games again from one of many event favourites, earlier than local weather protestors brought on the match to be paused for five-and-a-half minutes as they threw oversized custom tennis balls onto the court.
They held up banners protesting local weather change and calling for an finish to fossil fuels, earlier than being escorted out of the world by native police. Murray and Fritz had taken their seats, however after a prolonged stoppage resumed play and Murray steadily got here again into the tie, saving three set factors earlier than forcing a tiebreak that he gained 7-2 in extraordinarily humid circumstances.
Murray discovered himself down a break early within the second as as soon as once more he shouted in anguish, however this time was unable to reply in the identical resilient vogue and went down 3-6 as Fritz’s sturdy service recreation and excessive depth gave him the sting.
In the decider, Murray loved a greater begin than the earlier two units by holding his serve regardless of trying visibly exhausted, as neither participant have been capable of pressure a break till the ninth recreation when the depth and size of the match gave the impression to be an excessive amount of for Murray and Fritz delighted his residence crowd with victory, getting back from a 40-0 deficit to assert the third and last set after three hours of play.
The match had initially been scheduled for Thursday, however poor climate circumstances created a doubtlessly nightmare situation as they have been moved to Friday’s night session as play was suspended on the outer courts and Murray v Fritz was pushed again in an try by the organisers to finish the delayed ties.
The Citi Open schedule-makers have insisted that the quarter-final could also be played today between Fritz and Thompson, who defeated Christopher Eubanks, which might happen every participant acquired “after suitable rest” though the event is but to make clear how lengthy that relaxation would should be – particularly after such a gruelling match.
Two matches in the identical day would have seen Murray fall sufferer to the schedule as soon as once more having been compelled to play what might be his last Wimbledon match over two days because of the SW19 curfew.
Murray has upped his conditioning for this event in a bid to provide him a bodily edge, one thing he wanted to name upon towards Fritz, however particularly would have been the case ought to he have gained and was gazing the opportunity of taking part in twice in the identical day. “I did a lot of heat training in heat chambers and bike sessions in pretty brutal conditions to try and prepare myself for it,” Murray stated earlier than the event.
“It doesn’t make going on the court that much easier, but if you’ve done that work and your opponent hasn’t, it can give you that little physical, psychological edge and I like that.
“I think a challenge for all of the players is the conditions. You’ve gone from playing across the grass season where physically it’s pretty straightforward in terms of you’re not getting any extreme weather, the points tend to be a little bit shorter, it’s a bit easier on the body.”