Andy Murray of Britain reacts after defeating Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia in their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022. (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)
With the US Open just a few weeks away, the qualifiers for the Canadian Open get underway this Saturday.
Novak Djokovic had to withdraw from Montreal 2022 as there was no way he could enter Canada unless he got fully vaccinated. Rafael Nadal also pulled out from the US Open tune-up tournament citing the same abdominal issue that forced him to withdraw from Wimbledon ahead of the semi-final clash against Nick Kyrgios.
Andy Murray will bring the star power to the competition after receiving a wildcard. He will have his task cut out in the Round of 64 of the Masters 1000 event as he faces the talented Taylor Fritz.
The 24-year-old American tennis star has won two titles this season. His first triumph came at the Indian Wells Masters where he defeated the mighty Rafael Nadal in straight sets in the final. The second title-winning campaign for Fritz came at the Eastbourne International where he defeated compatriot Maxime Cressy in a closely-contested final.
At the recently concluded Citi Open, Fritz retired midway through his match against Dan Evans in a round of 16 clash. He collapsed owing to fatigue as the hot and humid conditions in Washington got the better of him. The 24-year-old will be looking forward to getting back on track ahead of the US Open.
The experienced campaigner Andy Murray has managed to make it to two finals this season at the Sydney Classic and the Stuttgart Open. However, a title has eluded him.
He crashed out of the Citi Open in the first round following a loss to Mikael Ymer. Murray recently made it back into the world’s top 50. He has won at Montreal on three previous occasions. He is hoping to book a seeded spot into the US Open draw and a good performance at Montreal could take him closer to that goal.
Taylor Fritz and Andy Murray have not faced each other before. Therefore, the head-to-head stands at 0-0. We expect the match to be a close one but Fritz may get the W eventually in the third set.
Prediction: Taylor Fritz wins in three sets
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