Murray moves ahead in Antwerp; Blinkova sends Gauff packing

Antwerp: Former world number one Andy Murray began his European Open campaign with a battling 6-4 7-6(4) victory over unseeded Belgian Kimmer Coppejans in Antwerp on Tuesday.

The 32-year-old Scot, who is continuing his comeback after having career-saving hip resurfacing surgery in January, was stretched by the wildcard in the second set but held his nerve to prevail in an hour and 44 minutes.

Three-times Grand Slam champion Murray won 75% of points on his first serve and converted four out of six break points to overcome his opponent, who is ranked 158 in the world, for his first ATP level victory in Europe for 16 months.

Up next for Murray is either eighth seed Pablo Cuevas or Bolivia’s Hugo Dellien.

Murray, who won his first ATP Tour matches since his surgery during the Asian swing and reached the quarter-finals of the China Open, is hoping to regain full match fitness before he makes his much-anticipated Grand Slam return at next year’s Australian Open. South Korea’s Kwon Soon-woo earlier rallied past Frenchman Richard Gasquet 1-6 6-3 6-4 while Feliciano Lopez beat Cameron Norrie 7-6(2) 6-4.

Meanwhile, teenage sensation Coco Gauff failed to follow up on her maiden WTA tournament win after crashing out in the first round 6-4, 6-0 to Anna Blinkova in Luxembourg on Wednesday.

“I’m very happy with my performance. I didn’t make a lot of mistakes and I had the right tactics. I was calm and I did my job well today,” said Russian eighth seed Blinkova.

“I was very focused. I know she’s a great player and I knew she was coming off a WTA tournament win, so I was well prepared.”

Gauff, made headlines around the world on Sunday when she conquered her first career title in Linz, Austria, aged 15 years and seven months.

She became the youngest player to win a WTA event since Czech Nicole Vaidisova, who triumphed in Vancouver and Tashkent two months apart in 2004 as a 15-year-old, and shot up 39 places in the WTA rankings to number 71.

However, Blinkova, herself just 19, was too strong for the young American, breaking Gauff’s resistance in the first set before crushing her to love in the second and setting up a second round match against Germany’s Tatjana Maria.

Agencies