European Open : Schwartzman Downs Murray In Antwerp

Andy Murray’s chances of winning another Antwerp championship were dashed on Thursday after Diego Schwartzman defeated him in straight sets in the second round, claiming it was a “pleasure” to finally meet the former world No 1. The second seed Schwartzman defeated the three-time Grand Slam champion, who won the last of his 46 career victories in the Belgian port city of Antwerp in 2019.The 34-year-old Scot, who has battled career-threatening hip problems, survived two match chances in the opening round to defeat Frances Tiafoe 7-6 (2), 6-7 (9), 7-6 (8). It had sparked expectations for the former world No. 1 to make another long run.

Murray got off to a fast start, hitting his groundstrokes with power and depth to dominate Schwartzman and take a 4-1 lead. The Argentine, though, began to rediscover his range, and as Murray began to drop the ball short, Schwartzman began to take command, winning five straight games to take the lead. The 29-year-old broke in the fifth game of the second set, but was unable to finish off the match, with Murray pegging the Argentine back as the match progressed to a tie-break. Murray saved a match point at 5/6 in a close tie-break with one of his eight aces throughout the match. However, Murray was unable to hold off Schwartzman, who advanced when Murray pushed a forehand long.

Despite having been on the tour for well over a decade, this was the first time the two men had met on the court. In his on-court interview, Schwartzman, who finished second in 2016 and 2017, remarked, “It was a joy to play against Andy.” “We hadn’t played before, and he’s coming back, and every week he’s getting stronger and moving better. “I have a lot of respect for him because I grew up watching Roger, Rafa, Andy, and Novak play tennis, and now it’s a joy for me to play against him.” For a spot in the semi-finals, Schwartzman will face either American Brandon Nakashima or Swiss Henri Laaksonen.