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Andy Murray’s comeback at the US Open came to an end in the second round at the hands of Canadian prodigy Felix Auger-Aliassime and the Scotsman, in his first individual grand slam tournament since undergoing hip surgery that saved his career 20 months ago, he retired after a 6- 2, 6-3, 6-4 loss.
The two-time Wimbledon champion, 33, had crashed to the ground in a four-and-a-half-hour marathon and five sets against Yoshihito Nishioka on Tuesday. And a 20-year-old who runs and hits hard was his opponent just two days later, with a match against Dan Evans or Corentin Moutet waiting for the winner.
“It is an incredible feeling. I wish the fans were here, ”said Auger-Aliassime. “Life is fun, I came here as a child in 2011 and it’s crazy that nine years later I’m here getting the victory.
“I think everything has gone well. We’ve been away from tennis for five months and I’ve been working on my serve. Even with nerves I was able to serve well. But in the back of your mind you know you are up against Andy Murray. You never know what tricks you have in your pocket. Closing it is not easy. You face a great champion. “
Murray knew what he was up against just 10 minutes into the game, after Auger-Aliassime held serve to love before securing a break in the second game. He’d flagged Auger-Aliassime’s serve as a weakness in his game, but it was flawless.
Murray, one of the best returners the sport has ever seen, didn’t create a single break point, and Auger-Aliassime slipped away with the first set in 41 minutes, the youngster hitting 18 winners against one from Murray.
Even Murray in his prime, with no bruised toes and exhausted body that left him desperate for an ice bath after his efforts against Nishioka, might have had trouble chasing down some of the ground blows that exploded in the 15th place racket.
Murray stayed in the second set until 3-4, when Auger-Aliassime secured another break before hitting an ace to go 2-0 up. Unlike the scene 48 hours ago, this time there was not going to be a heroic fight. There just wasn’t enough left in the tank.
In 2011 Auger-Aliassime had watched from Arthur Ashe’s stands as Murray beat Feliciano López on his way to the semifinals. Nine years later, in the same venue, he found what was arguably the best performance of his career to end the former world number one’s hopes of a second Open title.
