Botched video review no problem as Andy Murray advances at US Open
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Andy Murray plays a forehand shot to Corentin Moutet of France during their US Open first-round match.
PHOTO: AFP
NEW YORK – Andy Murray shrugged off a bungled attempt to use video review technology for the first time at the US Open on Tuesday before advancing to the second round with a straight-set victory over France’s Corentin Moutet.
The 36-year-old, who won the Flushing Meadows Grand Slam in 2012, delivered a composed performance to outlast Moutet 6-2, 7-5, 6-3 on the Grandstand Court.
The Scottish veteran will now face Bulgaria’s 19th seed Grigor Dimitrov in the second round on Thursday.
Tuesday’s first-round tussle was notable for a bizarre incident in the final set, when Moutet requested a video review after chair umpire Azemar Engzell awarded Murray a point for a double-bounce.
Although replay footage displayed on stadium screens appeared to show the point had been correctly awarded, Engzell said officials were unable to review the incident properly and so attempts to use the video review system – being deployed at the US Open for the first time – were abandoned.
“I don’t know exactly how it’s supposed to work and who’s supposed to make the decision on it because it was quite clear from the second video that the ball had bounced twice,” Murray said afterwards.
“We watched it about 10 times. It clearly is not the umpire that’s making that decision. I don’t know how the technology works. But it obviously didn’t go to plan in a pretty important moment of the match. So, yeah, it would be good if they could get that fixed.”
The Briton went on to serve out the match, completing an encouraging victory – his 200th Grand Slam match win.
Murray, only the ninth man to reach the 200 mark, has battled a litany of injury problems and surgeries in recent years, but believes that he is now playing at his highest level since 2017.
“I’m at my highest ranking (37) since I had my metal hip put in,” said the two-time Wimbledon champion.
“I’m happy with that. It’s not been an easy journey. I would like to be ranked higher but this is the best I’ve played consistently since 2017.
“I’m happy to still be going, still progressing and, hopefully, I can keep pushing my ranking up.”
On another positive note, his wife, Kim, brought all four of their children with them to New York, making the trip and his victory so much sweeter.
“It’s not always fun with them – four little ones under seven is difficult at times – but it’s brilliant,” said Murray, whose youngest was born in 2021.
“They’ve not come to see me play that much, obviously as they’ve been very young.”
AFP, REUTERS
