Andy Murray knocked out of US tournament after straight-set loss to Alexander Bublik
Andy Murray's impressive run at the 2022 Hall of Fame Open came to a halt on Friday after Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik knocked him out of the quarter-finals of the competition. Bublik advanced after a hard-fought 7-5, 6-4 victory in Newport, Rhode Island, and will face either Jason Kubler or James Duckworth in the next round.
World No. 52 Murray has been proud of his play so far this week around his serve, winning around 70% of his first-serve points in his recent wins over Sam Querrey and Max Purcell. That part of his game would again prove crucial in Friday's quarter-final clash, although the same could be said for the 6'5" Bublik.
In fact, the pair didn't produce a break until the 11th game when a thunderous Bublik backhand had the Kazakh shouting, "Let's go!" The 25-year-old served to win the opening segment 7-5, going ahead thanks to that singular break and unwavering serve (he won 84% of first-serve points in the opening set).
It turned out to be the start of a pattern for both players, with each of them losing their first serve in the second set despite looking so solid in the first. Bublik briefly appeared bamboozled after arguing with officials over a 'foot ball' infraction but survived a break point before breaking Murray's serve for the third time to lead 4-3 .
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Commentators were convinced that the "soccer ball" incident may have even galvanized Bublik, who exuded greater calm after the brief explosion. Murray, 35, came to Newport as the main attraction for his American fans, but was fired after falling to two in the decider.
It was the fifth time Murray and Bublik have faced each other so far in their careers, with three of those previous clashes having taken place in 2022 alone. Murray emerged 6-3, 7-6(4) winners when the duo last met in the second round of the Stuttgart Open in early June.
The Briton boasted a perfect record against Russian-born Bublik on grass ahead of Friday's showdown, having beaten his opponent in straight sets in their first encounter at Wimbledon 2017. Matches between this duo also used to be conclusive encounters. , given that their five matches were decided in straight sets.
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Andy Murray's impressive run at the 2022 Hall of Fame Open came to a halt on Friday after Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik knocked him out of the quarter-finals of the competition. Bublik advanced after a hard-fought 7-5, 6-4 victory in Newport, Rhode Island, and will face either Jason Kubler or James Duckworth in the next round.
World No. 52 Murray has been proud of his play so far this week around his serve, winning around 70% of his first-serve points in his recent wins over Sam Querrey and Max Purcell. That part of his game would again prove crucial in Friday's quarter-final clash, although the same could be said for the 6'5" Bublik.
In fact, the pair didn't produce a break until the 11th game when a thunderous Bublik backhand had the Kazakh shouting, "Let's go!" The 25-year-old served to win the opening segment 7-5, going ahead thanks to that singular break and unwavering serve (he won 84% of first-serve points in the opening set).
It turned out to be the start of a pattern for both players, with each of them losing their first serve in the second set despite looking so solid in the first. Bublik briefly appeared bamboozled after arguing with officials over a 'foot ball' infraction but survived a break point before breaking Murray's serve for the third time to lead 4-3 .
READ MORE: Novak Djokovic has warned of five players who could prevent him from winning the Rafael Nadal GOAT war
Commentators were convinced that the "soccer ball" incident may have even galvanized Bublik, who exuded greater calm after the brief explosion. Murray, 35, came to Newport as the main attraction for his American fans, but was fired after falling to two in the decider.
It was the fifth time Murray and Bublik have faced each other so far in their careers, with three of those previous clashes having taken place in 2022 alone. Murray emerged 6-3, 7-6(4) winners when the duo last met in the second round of the Stuttgart Open in early June.
The Briton boasted a perfect record against Russian-born Bublik on grass ahead of Friday's showdown, having beaten his opponent in straight sets in their first encounter at Wimbledon 2017. Matches between this duo also used to be conclusive encounters. , given that their five matches were decided in straight sets.
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