Tiafoe topples Murray in Winston-Salem Open second round
Frances Tiafoe gets past Andy Murray in straight sets during second-round action in Winston-Salem on Tuesday. Pablo Carreno Busta and Dan Evans are also through to the last 16.
Tiafoe ANVERS 2020
Andy Murray‘s final warmup event prior to the US Open has come to an end, as the 34-year-old fell to Frances Tiafoe in round two of the Winston-Salem Open on Tuesday night. Tiafoe prevailed 7-6(4), 6-3 in one hour and 49 minutes.
Murray had no trouble beating lucky loser Noah Rubin — who replaced Nick Kyrgios on Sunday night — in his opening match, but the Scot was not as lucky with his second-round draw. Tiafoe has now won at least one match in six of his last seven tournaments.
The 23-year-old American saved three set points while serving at 4-5 in the opener, and that proved to be the one turning point of the match. Tiafoe dominated the ensuing tiebreaker and then raced to a 5-1 lead in the second set to take complete control. Murray hit back to pull within 3-5, but Tiafoe closed out the match on his second time of asking.
Carreno Busta begins bid for second Winston-Salem title
Amond those joining Tiafoe in the last 16 was top seed Pablo Carreno Busta, who held off Soonwoo Kwon 6-3, 3-6, 6-4. Carreno Busta now owns a 14-5 lifetime match record in Winston-Salem with a title in 2016.
“It was a very close match, he played really well in the second and third sets,” the Spaniard praised. “It is really nice to be here again. I am happy as it is important for me to start my first match with a victory. I feel really comfortable here; it is a nice way to go to New York before the US Open. It is very important for me to play as many matches as possible.”
The bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympics and quarter-finalist in Cincinnati, Carreno Busta will try to continue his fine form when he faces Dominik Koepfer in the last 16.
