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Andy Murray battles into China Open last eight
BEIJING, Oct 2, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Andy Murray won two ATP Tour singles
matches in a row for the first time since major hip surgery to battle into
the China Open quarter-finals on Wednesday.
The former world number one outlasted fellow Briton Cameron Norrie 7-6
(8/6), 6-7 (4/7), 6-1 over nearly three gruelling hours and will play top
seed Dominic Thiem or Chinese wildcard Zhang Zhizhen next.
The 32-year-old Murray, now ranked a lowly 503, is stepping up his comeback
from a career-saving operation in January — and was at his vintage fighting
best here.
On Tuesday, in hot and hazy Beijing, he defeated US Open semi-finalist
Matteo Berrettini for his biggest scalp since his return to singles tennis in
mid-August.
The three-time Grand Slam winner says he no longer has pain in his hip and
it is a matter now of building up fitness so he can play several matches in a
row at tournaments.
BSS/AFP/MSY/1453 hrs