Murray returns competitive to beat puncher Tiafoe

He had not played an official match since last November 20, when he beat the semi-unknown Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor with difficulties in the group stage of the Davis Cup Finals, at the Caja Mágica in Madrid. He was eliminated from the ATP Cup due to a pelvic injury and was unpublished in 2020. But as they say, who had retained, and Andy Murray returned at the Western & Southern in Cincinnati, which this year is played in the famous New York bubble, with a good victory against an uncomfortable rival such as Frances Tiafoe. The Scotsman won by 7-6 (6), 3-6 and 6-1 and he could do it more easily having taken advantage of a break point he had in the fifth game of the second set.

Suffering expert, Murray did not decompose after losing 3-6 after having overcome a limit situation in the first round, when he raised a set goal in the tiebreaker and previously one of the American break. Historic 1,000 Masters (14 titles (two of them in Cincinnati) in seven different tournaments and 214 victories with this Saturday), Sir Andy was competitive to counter the momentum and winning blows of his rival (36), who it also failed a lot (49 unforced errors), and he hit four decisive direct aces to consolidate the two breaks he captured against an opponent who threw in the towel when he was 5-1 against. Murray, as talkative on the track as ever (now without an audience he is heard even more and he greeted as if there were), he will see them in the second round with Alexander Zverev in a very demanding test.

Auger-Aliassime starts strong and De Miñaur falls

Felix Auger-Aliassime hit first on the ATP circuit comeback in the Cincinnati Masters 1,000. The Canadian won a gunboat duel against the Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili after turning around an initial 0-2 adverse, which reduced the mental strength of his rival. Basilashvili entered a spiral of errors that accompanied him for much of the duel, while the Canadian showed a fantastic poise from the back of the court. He accompanied that facet with 6 aces and a meritorious 73% of points won with the first serve to end the clash by 6-4 and 6-1.

For his part, the German Jan-Lennard Struff surprised with a resounding victory over Australian Alex de Miñaur, who had shown a sensational physical state during the months of hiatus through videos on their social networks. But Struff dominated from start to finish with a solid game that gave him a comfortable 6-2, 6-4 win.

In the rest of the day, Benoit Paire gave the negative note by retiring in the second set against Borna Coric. The Frenchman, with physical discomfort, already fell by a painful 6-0 and 1-0. The American Opelka gave the local cheer of the day by beating Norrie (6-3, 6-4) thanks to a whopping 17 direct aces. Veteran Kevin Anderson suffered to beat Kyle Edmund (7-6 (3), 4-6 and 6-3.

Results of the day.