MONTREAL, Aug 10:
Australia’s Nick Kyrgios advanced at the National Bank Open, beating Argentina’s Sebastian Baez 6-4, 6-4 in an opening-round match and setting up a second-round showdown with top-ranked Daniil Medvedev of Russia.
Kyrgios is coming off a victory at last week’s Citi Open in Washington, where he ended a three-year title drought by winning his seventh career tour-level singles championship. That victory follows a runner-up finish at Wimbledon, where he lost to Novak Djokovic.
Medvedev, the event’s defending champion who received a first-round bye as a top seed, is scheduled to face Kyrgios on Wednesday.
In other first-round action, British wild-card Andy Murray, who was ranked world No. 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals for 41 straight weeks in 2016, couldn’t find that old magic against 10th-seeded Taylor Fritz of San Diego, falling 6-1, 6-3.
Marin Cilic, the No. 13 seed, defeated fellow Croatian Borna Coric 6-3, 6-2. Other seeded players to advance were No. 14 Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain and No. 17 Gael Monfils of France.
Alex de Minaur of Australia beat Denis Shapovalov of Canada 7-5, 7-6 (4) in a match that was suspended by rain on Monday.
Also, American Tommy Paul beat Canada’s Vasek Pospisil 6-4, 6-4, and Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria, the No. 15 seed, posted a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Canadian wild-card entry Alexis Galarneau.
Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta surprised 11th-seeded Matteo Berrettini 6-3, 6-2. Marin Cilic, the No. 13 seed, advanced with a 6-3, 6-2 win over fellow Croatian Borna Coric. (AP)
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