Andy Murray fell just short in a grueling three-hour battle against world number nine Taylor Fritz in the round of 16 at the Citi Open.
The 36-year-old, a runner-up in Washington 17 years ago, appeared to be on the cusp of another notable victory since his return from hip surgery. He had break point opportunities for a 4-2 advantage in the deciding set.
However, Fritz, the tournament’s top seed and the American number one, successfully fended off all three break points and ultimately secured his 40th victory of 2023 with a 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-4 scoreline.
A thrilling contest faced a momentary interruption as a group of rowdy protesters, who had tossed oversized tennis balls onto the court, were escorted out of the stands.
Murray had already vented his frustration by smashing his racket against the floor after losing his serve in the opening game, which included two double faults among six unforced errors.
The Scottish player had been a point away from a 3-0 deficit, but he displayed improvement as the set unfolded. He managed to break back for 5-5 while Fritz served for the set, staving off two set points and converting his initial break point with a well-executed drop shot.
Murray claimed the tie-break in commanding fashion, capitalizing on Fritz’s visible frustration, and secured the set in 87 minutes with an almost dismissive forehand winner.
Nonetheless, Fritz quickly rallied, breaking early in the second set to level the match.
During the decider, Fritz withstood break points at 2-3, and Murray’s double fault presented the 25-year-old with three opportunities to break, with Fritz capitalizing on the second occasion when Murray’s backhand sailed long.
In a climactic final game, Murray brought forth three break-back points at 0-40, yet Fritz emerged unscathed. Fritz then saw two match points slip away before successfully converting the third.
Meanwhile, Dan Evans, who had experienced defeat in eight of his last nine matches prior to arriving in Washington, secured his second consecutive victory by defeating Russia’s Alexander Shevchenko with a 6-4, 6-3 outcome.
Due to rain, Evans will need to contest his quarter-final match later in the day, as both his and Murray’s matches were canceled on Thursday.
