Three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray said the playing conditions in Cincinnati weren’t ideal on Monday but he was glad that he was able to outlast Stan Wawrinka in a tight encounter. In the Cincinnati first round, Murray edged out Wawrinka 7-6 (3) 5-7 7-5.
“The court is pretty lively when the weather is like this. Physically I feel tired,” Murray said after the win, per the ATP website. “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”.
Murray recovered from a break down in the third set to beat Wawrinka
After winning a tight first set via a tie-break, Murray recovered from a 5-3 deficit in the second set to tie the set to five games apiece. But Murray fell short in his bid to close out the match in straight sets as Wawrinka broke Murray in the 12th game, when the Briton was serving to stay in the second set.
Then, Wawrinka started the third set with a 2-0 lead. But Murray was able to mentally recover as he broke Wawrinka in the third and 11th game to open a 6-5 lead. In the 12th game, Murray missed out on three consecutive match points before realizing his fourth match point to complete a three-set win.
Murray plays next against top-ranked British tennis player Cameron Norrie. “He is very different to how Stan plays, being a lefty,” Murray said of facing Norrie. “Flat on the backhand, heavy topspin on the forehand.
We have spent a little bit of time on the court together, so there won’t be many surprises out there for me”.
