Great Britain’s Andy Murray, playing in his first competition in China since 2019, defeated the home country’s Ye Cong Mo 7-5, 6-3 on Thursday in the Zhuhai Championships.
A former top-ranked player now No. 41 in the world, the seventh-seeded Murray saved all five break points that he faced. He had a 10-1 edge in aces over Mo, who is ranked No. 668.
Murray next will play Russian Aslan Karatsev, who defeated Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 6-2.
In other action in the Round of 32, American sixth seed Mackenzie McDonald eliminated China’s Juncheng Shang 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-3; fifth seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina defeated Australian qualifier Luke Saville 6-4, 6-4; and Kimmer Coppejans of Belgium downed American Aleksandar Kovacevic 7-6 (4), 6-1.
Alex Bolt advanced when his opponent, Diego Schwartzman of Argentina, retired with the Australian ahead 6-3, 4-2. Cristian Garin of Chile, Alexandre Muller of France and Australian qualifier Marc Polmans also advanced.
Chengdu Open
American Marcos Giron upset fifth seed Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan 7-6 (6), 6-3 in the Round of 32 in China.
Bublik had more aces (4-1) and winners (27-16), but he also had more double faults (7-1) and unforced errors (22-6). Giron converted three of five break points and saved five of seven.
The upsets also included Jordan Thompson winning a battle of Australians in knocking off sixth seed Max Purcell 6-2, 7-6 (8).
Seventh seed Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia took care of qualifier Benjamin Lock of Zimbabwe 6-2, 6-3.
Other winners Thursday included Russia’s Pavel Kotov, Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic, Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech, Peru’s Juan Pablo Varillas and Australians Christopher O’Connell and Philip Sekulic.
–Field Level Media
