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By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday August 15, 2022


For the third time this summer (also Newport and D.C.) Andy Murray struggled with cramping issues. But true to form the Scot was able to overcome and battle his way past Stan Wawrinka in a rare meeting of multiple Grand Slam champions at the Western Southern Open.

Tennis Express

Murray, more match tough due to his time on the circuit in 2022, pushed past the Swiss in a tense battle, 7-6(3), 5-7, 7-5, to book a second-round test against ninth-seeded Cameron Norrie, the British No.1.

Murray has always been comfortable at Cincinnati, where he is the 2008 and 2011 champion, and he improved his stellar record at the event to 35-14 on Monday thanks to 38 winners (against 27 unforced errors) and 10 aces.

Wawrinka, ranked 306 and on the mend from two left foot surgeries in 2021, drops to 3-8 on the season.

After the pair’s 22nd meeting (Murray leads 13-9 overall), Murray admitted that he struggled with cramps.

“Physically I feel tired,” Murray said in his on-court interview after the two hour and 58-minute tussle. “I had some issues with cramp during the match, the same as Washington, so that is something I need to get on top of.

“I tried to take the ball on a little more and finish points at the net. I wasn’t that successful when I came up, but the intention was there. I was a little more offensive on the second-serve return. Last game I was just fighting, trying to find a way through.”


Norrie had to battle as well, the British southpaw edged rising 19-year-old Holger Rune 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-4, to improve to 38-18 on the season. The triumph marked the 26-year-old’s first victory in three tries at Cincinnati.

Elsewhere in Cincy, Botic Van de Zanschulp defeated Maxime Cressy to set a second-round clash with top-seeded Daniil Medvedev, while John Isner topped Benjamin Bonzi to set a second-round clash with No.8-seeded Hubert Hurkacz.

Emil Ruusuvuori (d. Wolf), Marin Cilic (d. Munar), Diego Schwartzman (d. Molcan), Aslan Karatsev (d. Nakasahima), Mackenzie McDonald (d. Basilashvili) and Roberto Bautista Agut (d. Francisco Cerundolo) were also winners on Monday in Mason, Ohio.

 

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