Andy Murray reaches second round of Winston-Salem Open following victory against Noah Rubin

Andy Murray reaches the second round of the Winston-Salem Open with straight sets victory against Noah Rubin after original opponent Nick Kyrgios withdrew due to a knee injury

  • Andy Murray was set to face Nick Kyrgios in the Winston-Salem Open first round 
  • The Australian withdrew with an injury a week before the start of the US Open 
  • American Noah Rubin stepped in but Murray had no problems dispatching him 
  • He broke the world No 306 five times altogether to seal a victory inside an hour 

Andy Murray qualified for the second round of the Winston-Salem Open after defeating Noah Rubin in straight sets.

The British former world No 1 – a wildcard at the tournament in North Carolina – was set to face Nick Kyrgios in the first round but the Australian withdrew just hours before the match due to an injury to his left knee.

Rubin was a last-minute replacement for Kyrgios but Murray had little trouble defeating the American 6-2 6-0.

Andy Murray qualified for the second round of the Winston-Salem Open after defeating Noah Rubin

The Scot dispatched the American world No 306 inside an hour in North Carolina

The Scot dispatched the American world No 306 inside an hour in North Carolina

The Scot wrapped up the first set inside 35 minutes, which included breaking the world No 306 on two occasions.

Three breaks from Murray then followed in the second set to ensure he wrapped up the victory inside an hour.

Rubin struggled having just lost against Lucas Pouille 4-6, 7-6, 6-2, and had approximately half an hour before he took the court again to face Murray in the main draw.

‘It was my by far the strangest situation I have ever been in before a match. It’s pretty rare that you experience something new when you’re 17 years into your career,’ Murray said.

Murray was meant to face Nick Kyrgios in the first round before he withdrew due to injury

Murray was meant to face Nick Kyrgios in the first round before he withdrew due to injury

‘Noah was a great replacement for Nick. It was great for the crowd, and I didn’t know he went to university here. 

‘It was just unfortunate he wasn’t able to give his best effort. It is a real shame tonight, but it was nice that it was packed.’ 

Rubin tweeted after the match: ‘To everyone who came out to support Murray/Kyrgios match, was fun playing in front of you. 

‘Tried to put on a show, but didn’t have much left. Was a brutal day, but this is tennis, and what a weird way to come back. Always at home here at Wake. See ya soon black and gold.’

Meanwhile, Kyrgios said he had to make a tough call to pull out of the match as he did not want to jeopardise his participation at the US Open, which starts on Monday.

‘I had to listen to my body and give myself some more time,’ Kyrgios said. ‘I don’t go to a tournament to just play a match and pull out. I just need to get this right. I want to give myself the best shot at the U.S. Open.’

Murray will now face Frances Tiafoe next on Tuesday while British No 1 Dan Evans will come up against either Pouille or Feliciano Lopez following their meeting on Monday night.

Murray will now face Frances Tiafoe in the next round of the tournament on Tuesday

Murray will now face Frances Tiafoe in the next round of the tournament on Tuesday 



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