Murray sweeps into quarter-finals at Antwerp
Last updated on: 18 October,2019 08:11 am
Andy Murray beat Pablo Cuevas 6-4, 6-3 to cruised into the quarter-finals at Antwerp.
ANTWERP (AFP) - Former world number one Andy Murray cruised into the quarter-finals at Antwerp on Thursday with a 6-4, 6-3 defeat of Uruguay s Pablo Cuevas.
Murray, a three-time Grand Slam champion, is attempting to work his way back to form almost 10 months after career-saving hip surgery.
The Scot, currently ranked 243rd in the world, held serve throughout against eighth seed Cuevas before sealing victory in 84 minutes.
He will take on Romania s Marius Copil -- who hit 13 aces past third seed Diego Schwartzman in a 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (9/7) win -- on Friday for a place in the last four.
"I felt a bit better today. I thought I served quite well for most of the match and when I was able to get into the baseline rallies, I felt I was hitting the ball quite clean, which is good," Murray said.
"He served very well, which made it difficult for me to get the breaks, but I thought for me it was a good match."
Italian teenager Jannik Sinner dumped out top seed and 2018 runner-up Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-2 to reach his first ATP quarter-final.
Next up for the 18-year-old Sinner is American Frances Tiafoe, a straight-sets winner over seventh-seeded German Jan-Lennard Struff.
"I played a very solid game. He didn t play his best tennis for sure. It s not easy if you make the final the year before and then to come here to play a young player and wild card," world number 119 Sinner told atptour.com
"I think I played solid today. I served good on the important points and I think that was the key today."