Murray beats Cuevas to sweep into Antwerp quarter-finals
Andy Murray returns to Pablo Cuevas (unseen) during their second round match European Open in Antwerp on Thursday. Agence France-Presse
Murray, a three-time Grand Slam champion, is attempting to work his way back to form almost 10 months after career-saving hip surgery.
The Scot, currently ranked 243rd in the world, held serve throughout against eighth seed Cuevas before sealing victory in 84 minutes.
He will take on Romania’s Marius Copil -- who hit 13 aces past third seed Diego Schwartzman in a 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (9/7) win -- on Friday for a place in the last four.
“I felt a bit better today. I thought I served quite well for most of the match and when I was able to get into the baseline rallies, I felt I was hitting the ball quite clean, which is good,” Murray said.
“He served very well, which made it difficult for me to get the breaks, but I thought for me it was a good match.”
Italian teenager Jannik Sinner dumped out top seed and 2018 runner-up Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-2 to reach his first ATP quarter-final.
Next up for the 18-year-old Sinner is American Frances Tiafoe, a straight-sets winner over seventh-seeded German Jan-Lennard Struff.
“I played a very solid game. He didn’t play his best tennis for sure. It’s not easy if you make the final the year before and then to come here to play a young player and wild card,” world number 119 Sinner told atptour.com
“I think I played solid today. I served good on the important points and I think that was the key today.”
Italian teenager Jannik Sinner became the youngest ATP semi-finalist in five years on Friday when he defeated Frances Tiafoe of the United States 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 to make the last four of the European Open in Antwerp.
Sinner, 18, is the youngest to make the last four on tour since 17-year-old Borna Coric at Basel in 2014.
“I think I played good today once more. It was not easy in the end. I was shaking a little bit,” said Sinner, the world number 119.
The teenager fired 10 aces past the 53rd-ranked Tiafoe, saving four of five break points as he backed up his defeat of French top seed Gael Monfils in the second round.
Sinner, who was ranked 778 this time last year, can make the world top 100 next week.
However, he faces a potentially daunting semi-final against three-time major winner Stan Wawrinka if the former world number three gets past Gilles Simon in his quarter-final.
Agence France-Presse
