By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday October 21, 2021
Diego Schwartzman stopped 2019 Antwerp champion Andy Murray 6-4, 7-6(6) to reach the quarterfinals at the European Open. The 34-year-old Scot saw his perfect 6-0 record take a hit as Schwartzman won his 10th match at Antwerp against four career losses.
The Argentine improved to 33-20 on the season by taking his first career meeting against the three-time Grand Slam champion. After the match Schwartzman had nothing but praise for the man who had survived a three hour and 45-minute epic against Frances Tiafoe in the first round.
“It was a pleasure to play against Andy,” he said. “We didn’t play before and obviously he’s coming back I think every week he’s playing better and he’s moving better. I just have a lot of respect because when I grew up playing tennis I was watching Roger, Rafa, Andy and Djokovic. Right now playing against him it’s a pleasure for me. I was just trying to enjoy the match.”
Schwartzman reaches his 7th quarterfinal of 2021 and will face American Brandon Nakashima next. Nakashima topped Switzerland’s Henri Laaksonen 7-6(5), 6-7(5), 6-3 in Thursday’s last match.
Lloyd Harris of South Africa was also a winner on Thursday. The No.7 seed topped Jan-Lennard Struff 6-2, 6-3, while Marton Fucsovics knocked off Roberto Bautista Agut 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-1.
Murray, ranked 172, dropped to 13-11 on the season. His record may not show it, but he seems to be a lot closer to top form than he was this spring. The wild card made only 48 percent of his first-serves on Thursday, and saved seven of 10 break points against Schwartzman.
He had chances in a wild second set tiebreak that saw the serve drop seven straight points, but Schwartzman performed better in the bigger points and edged out in straights sets.