Citi Open 2022: Andy Murray falls in Washington opener while Simona Halep and Jessica Pegula win

Citi Open 2022: Andy Murray falls in Washington opener while Simona Halep and Jessica Pegula win

Citi Open 2022: On Monday, the British tennis player Andy Murray was eliminated in the first round of the ATP and WTA Washington Open after losing to the Swedish player Mikael Ymer. Murray is a three-time winner of the Grand Slam event.

At the US Open tuneup tournament, the 35-year-old Scottish player was defeated by the 115th-ranked Ymer in three sets, 7-6 (10/8), 4-6, 6-1. The match lasted two hours and 50 minutes.

Ymer, who fought off four set points in the first set, remarked that she was “eager.” “The American swing is off to a really strong start, but there is still a lot of work to be done.”

Murray

Murray, who holds the title of Olympic champion in both 2012 and 2016, is currently ranked number 50 in the world and is competing at the US Open, which he previously won.

Murray stated that there is still a chance of it happening. “All I would truly need is to have a good run in Canada or Cincinnati,” the player said. If I were to make it to the quarterfinals or the semifinals, which doesn’t seem likely after a loss like that, the process would be relatively simple.

Andy Murray loses in the opening round of the 2022 Citi Open, while Simona Halep and Jessica Pegula claim the titles.

“I do have the feeling that if I play extremely well, I would be able to do it. But if I want to win, I’m going to have to play much better than I did today.

Aslan Karatsev, the 15th seed, will be up next for Ymer, who competed in and lost his only ATP final in his career last August in Winston-Salem.

Ymer

Ymer was successful in 49 of 65 first-serve points, which is 75 percent of the total, and he defeated Murray with 37 winners while Murray produced only 25 and had 35 unforced errors, which is five more than Ymer had.

In the 12th game of the opening set, Murray had a set point, but he missed a backhand shot wide, and Ymer was able to hold on to force a tiebreaker.

Ymer hammered two forehand winners and a forehand volley winner to pull even at 7-7, which caused Murray to throw his racquet in exasperation. Murray had three more set points in the tiebreak. A winning backhand volley by Ymer, 23 years old, gave him the set victory.

“Had opportunities to finish that out in the first set,” Murray remarked after the match. “Didn’t get it. Yeah, frustrating.”

Ymer won the match with a backhand crosscourt winner when Murray was fighting back to force a third set. After the two players swapped breaks due to double faults, Ymer won the match with a backhand crosscourt winner.

Murray has stated that he will investigate the cause of his cramping problems in his most recent two matches, despite the fact that he often performs well in hot and humid conditions.

Murray reported that he began to have cramping at the end of the first set. “From that point on, all you can do is attempt to find a method to make it through the contest.

“Need to take a little look at that with my team and maybe see why that is, make a few changes,” said the leader. “Need to have a little look at that with my team.”

After reaching the semifinals at Wimbledon, two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep defeated Spanish qualifier Cristina Bucsa 6-3, 7-5. Bucsa was competing for Spain.

Halep, the third seed, remarked that whenever there is a change in the surface, the first round is always challenging. “I am aware that in order to make the game more stable, it will take some time.”

The top seed in the United States, Jessica Pegula, defeated the wild card in the same country, Hailey Baptiste, by scores of 6-2 and 6-2.

Covid

After missing the previous two years’ competition due to Covid-19, Pegula became victorious at the most recent WTA Washington event in 2019.

Pegula remarked that “It most certainly does feel weird.” “It’s so good to be here again.”

After having three operations on his left knee and taking a break of twenty months, British tennis player Kyle Edmund made a successful comeback to the ATP singles circuit by winning his match against Japanese qualifier Yosuke Watanuki 6-4, 7-6 (10/8).

Edmund competed in his first tour-level singles match in October 2020 in Vienna, a month before he was scheduled to undergo his first operation. He will next face the 16th seed from the United Kingdom, Daniel Evans.

Edmund reflected, “I did not find it simple to do so today.” “I didn’t give up, and in the end I was rewarded for my perseverance.”

Read More: 2022 Citi Open: Washington 2022 – Men’s Draw, Schedule