Andy Murray defeated Frances Tiafoe 7-6(6) 3-6 6-1 in their first-round match at the Western and Southern Open.
This tournament moved from Cincinnati to New York because of the coronavirus pandemic.
With no spectators allowed, matches were played in eerie silence under the shadow of the massive Arthur Ashe Stadium that will be centerstage when the U.S. Open starts on Aug. 31.
The scott got his first tournament of 2020 off to a positive start by surviving a near two-hour, 30-minute challenge from Tiafoe to reach the second round where a sterner test awaits in fifth seed Alexander Zverev.
"My goal is to come in and my hip to be feeling good," said Murray.
"That's what I wanted so I don't mind how much tennis I get to play, I know that will come the practice, the more matches I get but the concern for me is my hip going to be well enough," he added.
If Murray's game showed rust, his battling instincts remained sharp, particularly in the first set tiebreak when he trailed 5-2 before fighting back to take control.
Tiafoe secured his only break to go up 5-4 in the second on the way to leveling the match but Murray, twice Western and Southern champion, broke the young American at the first opportunity in the third and closed out victory.
Photo from Yahoo Sports
