Zverev beats Nishikori, Murray withdraws
Washington, August 4
Defending champion Alexander Zverev outlasted Japan’s Kei Nishikori 3-6 6-1 6-4 to reach the Washington Open semifinals while three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray withdrew citing fatigue.
Germany’s third-ranked Zverev, seeking his fifth final of the season and third title of the year after Munich and Madrid, dispatched seventh-seed Nishikori, the 2015 champion, as he did in last year’s Washington semifinals. “I felt like I had the more powerful shot,” Zverev said. “That worked out well in most of the rallies for me. It was a good high-level match.”
Zverev booked a semifinal against 10th-seeded Greek 19-year-old Stefanos Tsitsipas, who eliminated Belgian third seed David Goffin 6-3 6-4 in just 74 minutes.
“Exhausted”
Australian Alex De Minaur, another 19-year-old, reached the semifinals by walkover when Murray withdrew, citing the fatigue of three gruelling three-set wins that kept him on the court for more than eight hours in total. Murray, who also withdrew from next week’s Toronto Masters event, was in only his third event back and first hardcourt event since March 2017 at Indian Wells after an 11-month layoff with a hip injury.
“I’m exhausted after playing so much over the last four days, having not competed on the hard courts for 18 months,” Murray said.
“I also need to be careful and to listen to my body as I come back from a long-term injury. I’m gutted not to be playing. There are lots of positives to take from this week, so I’ll take some time to rest and recover and then head to Cincinnati early to prepare and get ready.”
The 31-year-old Scotsman, a former world No. 1 now ranked 832, broke down in tears after a 3:02 am finish on Friday to his third match, the latest finish in the event’s 50-year history. “I don’t think I should be put in a position like that,” Murray said. “Finishing matches at three in the morning isn’t good for anyone involved.”
De Minaur will next play either Russian 16th seed Andrey Rublev or American Denis Kudla, whose match was postponed to Saturday, among with three women’s quarterfinals, by a fifth consecutive day of rain. If 20-year-old Rublev advances, Zverev will be the oldest semifinalist at age 21. His reaction: “My God, that hasn’t happened to me before.”
In the women’s section, Germany’s Andrea Petkovic, seeking her seventh title and first since 2015, downed Swiss sixth seed Belinda Bencic 6-3 2-6 7-6(8) to reach the semifinals. — AFP
