Naomi Osaka was in all probability there to cheer her Japanese compatriot on, whereas this yr’s Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin confirmed up. The listing of males learn like a who’s who of recent tennis: Marin Cilic, Grigor Dimitrov, Kyle Edmund and Alexander Zverev – whom Murray had overcome final week on the Western & Southern Open on these exact same courts. When Dominic Thiem and Stefanos Tsitsipas joined the viewing gallery, Murray should have felt an intense want to impress the subsequent era.
Plus, after all, Murray’s personal backroom employees had been residing each level with him as standard. He has his personal suite on Arthur Ashe Stadium, and he has been accompanied right here by his physio Shane Annun, who will little doubt have the satan’s personal job patching his physique again collectively after this marathon, in addition to his long-suffering coach Jamie Delgado. For a lot of the match, Delgado regarded like a sea-sick sailor navigating a large thunderstorm.
Murray dropped the primary set after which lapsed right into a fug of inactivity and confusion. Inside a couple of minutes, he was 4-0 down within the second – and although he comfortably prevented the dreaded 6-0 “bagel”, he was quickly down a break within the third as nicely.
By some means, although, the previous aggressive juices started to stir. The toes slotted into place. That backhand of the ages discovered its mark a couple of occasions. The second when the true Murray arrived was maybe the one when a Nishioka return pushed him so vast of the courtroom that he slammed his forehand across the internet reasonably than over it. Extremely, Nishioka was enjoying so nicely that he nonetheless received the ball again and gained the purpose. However by no means thoughts. From Murray’s perspective, if you begin enjoying that kind of shot, you recognize that your sights are again on the goal.
Nothing was simple right here. With a purpose to draw stage, Murray needed to play two full-length units, which he lastly grasped on the tie-break with a fusillade of massive serves and aggressive forehands. The identical sense of timing noticed him produce some monumental winners within the ultimate recreation of the match.
Afterwards, he instructed Stubbs that “My toes are the worst half. The large toes on each side are fairly beat up. However I did alright, bodily.
“My physique hurts. I must get better as greatest as doable. I want an ice tub now. They are saying that there’s one within the locker-room but it surely’s just for emergencies. For me, that is an emergency. That was by far essentially the most tennis I’ve performed because the 2019 Aussie Open.”
Dan Evans added to the home success story at Flushing Meadows by beating Brazil’s Thiago Seyboth Wild 6-2 6-1 7-6 (5).
The British quantity two seized the initiative by fashioning a direct double-break and proceeded to cost by the opening two units.
Seyboth Wild, a former US Open junior champion in 2018, rallied within the third set and compelled the tie-break however Evans accomplished victory on his second match level.
