Western & Southern Open: Andy Murray beats Frances Tiafoe in ATP return

Great Britain’s Andy Murray beat America’s Frances Tiafoe in three sets in the Western & Southern Open first round at Flushing Meadows.

The tournament is a warm-up for the US Open at the same venue from 31 August.

In the women’s draw, American Coco Gauff lost in straight sets to Maria Sakkari in the opening round.

Greece’s Sakkari, 25, took one hour and five minutes to beat the 16-year-old, who reached the last four at the Top Seed Open in Kentucky last week, 6-1 6-3.

For the men, the Western & Southern Open is the first ATP event since the Tour was suspended in March because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A fit-again Murray, who won his first ATP Tour singles title in two and a half years at the European Open last October, admitted he was feeling “off the pace” for his Tour return as he continues to work his way back from a second hip operation in January 2019.

Neither player was able to find a break of serve in the opening set, as Murray saved a set point on his way to recovering from 5-2 down to take the tie-break.

Tiafoe served out the second set after breaking in the eighth game, but Murray responded emphatically with two breaks of his own in a dominant third-set display.

Ranked 129th in the world, Murray has been awarded a wildcard into the main draw of the US Open.

Elsewhere, fellow Britons Kyle Edmund, Cameron Norrie and Heather Watson all lost their opening-round matches.

Edmund was beaten 7-6 4-6 6-3 by former Wimbledon and US Open finalist Kevin Anderson, while American Reilly Opelka defeated Norrie 6-3 6-4 and Watson lost 6-1 3-6 6-3 to Bernarda Pera.

Dan Evans faces a tough opener against Russian 10th seed Andrey Rublev on Sunday. Eighth seed Johanna Konta has a bye in the opening round of the women’s draw.