CAIRO - Former world number one Andy Murray enjoyed a winning return to tennis with a 7-6 (8-6), 3-6, 6-1 triumph over Frances Tiafoe to reach the second round of the Western & Southern Open, as the men's tennis tour resumed in New York following a five-month hiatus.
The men's tennis tour resumed in New York on Saturday following a five-month hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic. The last ATP match played prior to the tour suspension was the Santiago final on March 1.
Using Grandstand as its centre court, along with nine other outside courts at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the Western & Southern Open - typically hosted in Cincinnati - kicked off in New York with no spectators in the stands and line judges replaced by electronic line-calling.
Murray, who hadn't competed since Davis Cup last November and missed the start of the 2020 season dealing with a pelvic injury, will next face world number seven Alexander Zverev.
In his first career meeting with Tiafoe, Murray, a two-time Cincinnati champion, had to save a set point in the first-set tiebreak, and battled through two hours and 28 minutes of play to overcome the American world number 81 and book a second round showdown with fifth seed Zverev.
Tiafoe, who recently recovered from Covid-19, hit a whopping 46 unforced errors during the match.
The pair touched wrists at the net instead of the typical handshake and tapped the umpire's shoe with their racquet as Murray celebrated the win with a fist pump towards his team in the empty stands.
"There isn't really an atmosphere, so that's obviously a little bit tricky. I know it's a bit of a cliche that you need to create your own atmosphere on the court but it's not quite the same," said Murray.
Having been dealing with physical issues all year, Murray said he wasn't too concerned about how much match play he'll be getting in New York, but the three time Grand Slam champion is keen to test himself against the tour's best.
"My goal was to come in and my hip be feeling good. That was what I wanted. I don't mind how much tennis I get to play, I know that will come with time and the more I practice and the more matches that I get," said the 33-year-old Briton.
"Today I was competing again at the highest level, managed to win a match, and get the opportunity to play a top player in a couple of days' time. That's what I wanted.
"The more time I get on court with top players, the quicker my level will get back to where I want it to be."
dpa