By Chris Oddo | Wednesday August 1, 2018
Andy Murray has claimed back-to-back wins for the first time this season and the three-time major champion has taken another step in his comeback from hip surgery at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C.
The former World No.1 and current No.832 (though not for long) edged compatriot Kyle Edmund, 7-6(4), 1-6, 6-4, to book a spot in the third round where he’ll face Romania’s Marius Copil.
"Kyle has played fantastic the whole year," said Murray. "To get a long match and win against him is great."
Murray couldn’t manage a set from Edmund on June 27 at Eastbourne, but after skipping Wimbledon and adding a training block to his schedule he looks fitter and his timing is more in sync. He showed signs of his vintage return game, and managed a lot of menacing second-serve returns that won him time and space in rallies. Eventually, after splitting sets with Edmund, Murray played his finest tennis in the decider and broke in the tenth game of the final set to clinch the match.
Murray made the most of a few lapses from Edmund in the contest and they made all the difference. The fourth seed, who told reporters after the match that he suffered from tonsilitis after Wimbledon and didn't pick up a racquet for two weeks, shanked a forehand at 4-5 in the first-set breaker before Murray hammered a backhand return winner off a second serve to seal the set.
This came after Edmund had failed to serve out the opener in the 12th game.
In the third set Edmund double-faulted at 5-6, 30-all and again it was Murray’s backhand return that provided the decisive blow—the Scotsman nailed a return winner on his first match point to clinch the victory in two hours and 32 minutes.
What we're seeing isn't the vintage Andy Murray that we saw at the end of 2016, when he backed up his second Wimbledon title by dominating the fall season and finishing the season at No.1, but there are signs of hope early in the U.S. Open series that he might be able to produce some special tennis at the year’s last major.
"It will hopefully be good for me in the long run and we'll try and keep it going this week," Murray said.
It’s more than he could have hoped for a month ago, when he elected to skip Wimbledon because he simply wasn’t ready.
And it's enough for the time being--stay tuned for the next episode.