The US Open was off to a breathtaking start, with day 1 serving twice as much action as promised. Gracing the courts in an astonishing display of tennis, Britain’s favorite, Andy Murray announced his arrival in New York. Notably, he left fans speechless with his round 1 performance against World No. 3, Stefanos Tsitsipas. As both the giants locked horns, an eventful evening was just getting started.

Courtesy of their caliber, expectations from fans were high. However, what the two giants produced was one of the most dramatic first-round matches in the tournament’s history.

From code violations to an extreme display of emotions, the match had everything. Naturally, right at the heart of the action was an animated Murray who gave it his all. Hence, disappointed and furious, Andy displayed his emotions unabashedly. Now, in his post-match press conference, Tsitsipas defended himself on Andy’s remarks.

Fair and square? Not according to Andy Murray

In a battle of the best, Andy gained momentum early on in the match, winning the first set in dominating style. Backed by the crowd, he put on a show to topple the greek youngster. However, aggravated by Stefanos’ prolonged bathroom breaks, Andy made himself vocal, both on and off the court.

The Greek was also handed a code violation for wasting time. However, going against Andy’s accusations, he believes he did no wrong. “If there’s something that he (Murray) has to tell me, we should speak the 2 of us to kind of understand what went wrong. I don’t think I broke any rules. I played by the guidelines, how everything is. Yeah, definitely something for both of us to kind of chat about…,” he said. 

Further, he added, “I don’t know how my opponent feels when I’m out there playing the match. It’s not really my priority. As far as I’m playing by the rules and sticking to what the ATP says is fair, then the rest is fine.”

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Not a first time from Stefanos Tsitsipas

It’s not the first time the newly crowned World No. 3 has been accused of wasting time and receiving coaching during matches. Only last week at the Cincinnati Open, Stefanos faced heat as he received a similar accusation from Alexander Zverev. Then, as well, the Greek was quick to defend himself.

After a four-hour battle, the intense outing saw a winner. Regardless of putting on a worthwhile fight, Andy Murray bowed out of the tournament. His warrior spirit was put on full display, but sadly, he couldn’t find his noteworthy reward. As the scoreline read 6-2, 6-7, 6-3, 3-6, 4-6 to Stefanos, Andy’s quest for a fairytale return came to an end, yet again.

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