Misc Tennis

Citi Open: Andy Murray beats Brandon Nakashima in second round

Andy Murray in action against Brandon Nakashima

Three-time Grand Slam winner Murray was a finalist in the Washington event in 2006

Andy Murray won his first singles match since Wimbledon by beating American Brandon Nakashima 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 in the Citi Open second round.

The 36-year-old Briton, who lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round at Wimbledon last month, received a first-round bye in Washington.

Murray, 36, will play Taylor Fritz, who beat fellow American Zachary Svajda 6-3 6-3, in the last 16 on Thursday.

“I did well. I hit the ball well from the beginning,” said Scot Murray.

“Brandon serves well, especially his second serve. I was struggling to create many opportunities on return.

“But I was just a little bit more solid than him at the end of the tie-break. He made a few mistakes; I put enough balls back in play.

“The courts and the balls are extremely slow here, so you’re having to work really hard in all of the games. It’s not easy to finish points. It was a good one to get through.”

British number two Dan Evans beat France’s Gregoire Barrere 2-6 6-0 6-3, but Liam Brady lost 6-4 6-2 against the Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor.

Evans, 33, will face Russia’s Alexander Shevchenko in the last 16.

American Chris Eubanks, who reached the quarter-finals on his Wimbledon debut last month, beat Japan’s Sho Shimabukuro 6-3 6-4 to set up a meeting with Australian Jordan Thompson.

Norrie knocked out in Mexico

British number one and world number 13 Cameron Norrie suffered a shock defeat by Aleksandar Kovacevic in the last 16 of the Los Cabos Open in Mexico.

American Kovacevic, ranked 116 places below Norrie, won 5-7 7-6 (9-7) 6-4 in three hours.

Norrie won his maiden ATP singles title at the Los Cabos Open in 2021 but has struggled since beating Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz to win the Rio Open in February.

Kovacevic will face German Dominik Koepfer in the quarter-finals on Friday.

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