SATURDAY, AUGUST 4, 2018 20 Weeping Murray wins 8-hr marathon

AFP | Washington, United States lasted Romania’s 93rd-ranked Marius Copil “I’ve had a few long matches. Finishing 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 7-6 (7/4). matches at three in the morning isn’t good tearful Andy Murray advanced to the The 31-year-old Scotsman won his third for anyone involved in the event, players, ATP Washington Open quarter-finals three-set victory in four days, having been TV, fans, anyone. A in a three-hour marathon ending at on the court for eight hours 11 minutes in “When you’re expected to come back 3:00 am yesterday, then ripped organisers all, and he started at midnight thanks to a and perform the next day, I think that’s for putting him in such a situation. fourth day of rain delays. unreasonable.” Three-time Grand Slam champion Mur- “I don’t think I should be put in a position And the sheer lateness of the hour wasn’t ray, in his first hardcourt event after an like that,” Murray said. “(My body) doesn’t good for players. 11-month layoff for a right hip injury, out- feel great right now. “That’s something the tour needs to look at,” Murray said. The British star said he was unlikely to finish post-match conditioning and get to sleep before 5:30 am, ahead of a scheduled Friday quarter-final against 19-year-old Australian Alex De Minaur. “Not playing, potentially, is possible. I don’t know how players are expect- ed to recover from that,” Murray said. “It’s like playing two matches in a day. I’m not sure how well I’ll recover from that.” After the final point, Murray went to his chair, buried his face in a tow- el and wept, sobbing at times, and kept his head It took 539 tour-level main draw matches for Alexander and Mischa Zverev to meet on the ATP World Tour down and face covered as he exited the court. Former world number one Alex wins Zverev battle Low-energy Isner falls Murray, now ranked 832, de- nied Copil on all four break hird-ranked defending champion Al- S second seed John Isner was ousted chances in the first set and Texander Zverev took bragging rights Uby 152nd-ranked compatriot Noah took a 5-0 tie-breaker lead only in his sibling rivalry, beating 15th-seeded Rubin 6-4, 7-6 (8/6). to drop the next seven points older brother Mischa 6-3, 7-5 in their first Ninth-ranked Isner, fatigued after a and squander the set, yelling at ATP meeting. first-ever Grand Slam semi-final at Wim- himself several times before net- “We had a great time,” Alex said. “I was bledon and an Atlanta title run, blamed ting a backhand to end the misery. happy and enjoying the moment. I hope his low-energy outing on his workload. Murray broke to open and close we meet again someday in a final.” “Noah played with more energy. He the second set, then traded breaks in Mischa was nearly in tears at the start was just tougher than I was. He was the sixth and seventh games on the way at a family dream come true. hungry,” Isner said. to a final tie-breaker. “When we came back to the benches “This could very well be a good loss. Murray hit a forehand long to fall I had to fight back my tears,” he said. I need a little rest. There are some big level 3-3, then slammed his rac - “It was a big day, big match. It was very tournaments coming up. I want to be full quet to the court, recovered it and emotional for me. It was just a great day.” of energy for those.” hit three winners to reach match Next up for Alex will be Japanese sev- Japanese third seed Naomi Osaka, point, winning when Copil netted a enth seed Kei Nishikori, who dispatched nagged by a right leg injury, lost to Po- backhand. Canadian ninth seed Denis Shapovalov land’s Magda Linette 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in the If his body can take it, Murray plays 7-6 (7/1), 6-3. companion WTA event. for a semi-final spot in against 72nd- “There will be a lot of points from the “It definitely bothers me a bit out there ranked De Minaur, who pulled two baseline,” Nishikori said. “I’ve got to on the court, but it isn’t anything serious,” upsets Thursday after rain, dump- work the point, play more aggressively Osaka said. “We’re going to prep and get ing US 11th seed Steve Johnson 6-4, and move the ball around.” healthy.” 7-5 and South Korean eighth seed Chung Hyeon 6-2, 4-6, 6-2. Titanic 117-shot rally wows Championships

Nanjing | China The Indonesian top-ranked duo Spectators laughed as the pairs of and hit the shuttlecock back and forth, mammoth 117-shot rally lit up , and Ja- before Kamura finally forced Gide- Athe badminton World Cham- pan’s and Keigo on to hit wide. pionships quarter-finals on Friday, Sonoda, traded shots early in the The Badminton World Federa- leaving spectators in giggles and second game. tion counted 117 shots before Japan the players panting. The Indonesians were down a won the point to go up 7-4 in the The seemingly never-ending ex- game 21-19 and came off worse at second game. change took place during an attri- the end of the rally, during which It helped Kamura and Sonoda, Takeshi Kamura (R) and of Japan hit a shot against Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya tional men’s doubles clash between the duos repeatedly waited before the fifth seeds, pull off an upset and Sukamuljo of Indonesia Indonesia and Japan in Nanjing. attacking, only to be repelled. reach the semi-finals.

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