Andy Murray secured victory in his first match since his early exit from Wimbledon last month, allowing him to confront past challenges in Washington.
Following his defeat in the Wimbledon second round on July 6 against Stefanos Tsitispas, Murray returned to the court just four weeks later. This time, he aimed to enhance his readiness for the upcoming US Open and succeeded in defeating Brandon Nakashima in a straight-sets victory.
Ranked 44th in the world, Murray competed at a venue he is familiar with and managed to achieve his first win at the Citi Open since his emotional appearance there in 2018.
Back in the winning groove 🕺@andy_murray secures his first win in Washington since reaching the quarter-finals in 2018! @mubadalacitidc | #MubadalaCitiDCOpen pic.twitter.com/Z7K02qhzE2
— ATP Tour (@atptour) August 2, 2023
Five years ago, following a win against Marius Copil, a tearful Andy Murray limped off the court and was forced to withdraw from a scheduled quarter-final match against Alex de Minaur due to exhaustion.
In 2018, Murray’s persistent hip injury troubled him during his time in Washington, ultimately leading to hip resurfacing surgery that revitalized his career a few months later.
Last year, the two-time Wimbledon champion faced a first-round defeat to Mikael Ymer at the Citi Open. However, he managed to break his losing streak at the tournament by securing a 7-6 (5), 6-4 victory over Brandon Nakashima in the round of 32.
Fellow British player Dan Evans also achieved a victory in Washington, joining his compatriot in the winning column.
‘Andy, you’re the reason that I play’ 🥹@andy_murray giving back to his young DC fans after his opening round win#MubadalaCitiDCOpen pic.twitter.com/1ukicOwDtI
— Mubadala Citi DC Open (@mubadalacitidc) August 2, 2023
Dan Evans displayed a resilient performance as he rallied from a set down to defeat Gregoire Barrere, securing his spot in the next round. The 33-year-old managed to secure a hard-fought victory with a scoreline of 2-6, 6-0, 6-3, breaking his streak of three consecutive defeats in the first rounds of Queen’s Club, Wimbledon, and Atlanta over the past two months.
However, Liam Broady was unable to replicate the success of Murray and Evans as he faced a defeat at the hands of Tallon Griekspoor, with a final score of 6-4, 6-2.