Second-ranked Andy Murray was surprisingly ousted from the US Open by Marin Cilic by a lopsided 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 in the fourth round.
Second-ranked Andy Murray was surprisingly ousted from the US Open by Marin Cilic of Croatia by a lopsided 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 in the fourth round.
Cilic overcame two set points in the first set, then pounded Murray over the last two to reach his first career Grand Slam quarterfinals. Murray, who lost to Roger Federer in the final at Flushing Meadows last year, will finish 2009 without making a major final.
The match ended in the late afternoon yesterday in New York, and just before newspaper deadlines back in England, where the sports sections follow Murray's every move.
"Today, I could've been better in pretty much every part of my game, whether it was mental, forehand, backhand, return," said Murray, who conceded that, yes, this was the most disappointing loss of his career.
How to explain this setback, his earliest loss on hard-courts since the Australian Open, against the Croatian he had beaten in their three previous meetings?
The right-handed Murray was holding his left wrist and grimacing in pain at the end of the first set. He said the wrist had been bothering him for a week or so.
"Regardless of my wrist, I lost the match," Murray said.
"I returned poorly. He served well and that was really the difference."
Cilic moved on to meet sixth-seeded Juan Martin del Potro, who reached his second straight US Open quarterfinals by cruising past No 24 Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
Cilic vs del Potro will pit two players who are 20, with lanky frames and big serves.
"For sure, if he beat Murray, he's confident," said del Potro, who lost to Murray in the Open quarterfinals a year ago. "It will be very tough for me."
In another fourth-round men's match, No 11 Fernando Gonzalez of Chile eliminated No 7 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3), 6-4. Gonzalez faces No 3 Rafael Nadal or No 13 Gael Monfils in the quarterfinals.
Kim Clijsters, already into the semifinals, will face a Williams for the second time in this tournament.
Clijsters beat Venus Williams in the fourth round; now she'll take on defending champion Serena Williams, who improved her win-loss record to 23-1 in Grand Slam singles this season by beating No 10 Flavia Pennetta of Italy 6-4, 6-3.
Looking ahead to facing Clijsters, the younger Williams said, "She's such a great person and I, like, only wish the best for her. But not in the next match."
The American and Belgian both have 12-match winning streaks at the US Open. Clijsters won the first seven en route to the 2005 title, the last time she played in New York, and has five this year, the last a 6-2, 6-4 win against 18th-seeded Li Na of China.
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