Murray’s Best Run Ends

Andy Murray’s career-best run of 22 straight wins has finally come to an end, as he was defeated by an inspired Marin Cilic in the final of the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati.

Cilic claimed the title beating the top seed and two-time Cincinnati champion after one hour and 34 minutes.

Murray has had a hectic two weeks, taking to the courts in Cincinnati immediately after his run to singles gold in Rio.

“It’s been a great run the last few months, but unfortunately couldn’t get it done today”, Murray said at the trophy presentation.

“I think if I got off to a better start maybe could have done a bit better”. I was hitting a lot of big serves in important points, and I was definitely very mentally strong in that second set.

“I really didn’t expect to be here [in the final in Cincinnati]”.

“But I went to sleep around 4am and woke up a little bit before 11am”. I felt today that everything was good. Mentally I’m in a good place just now.

‘I thought I was going to have a good chance if I played well, ‘ said Cilic, who finished his semi-final match against Grigor Dimitrov at 1:35am – I didn’t feel too exhausted yesterday in the evening.

Yet the Croat showed no signs of fatigue. He managed to dig his way out to get back to deuce, but he could not close out the game and Cilic nervelessly closed out the set to complete his 6-4, 7-5 win. Murray regained one of the breaks but Cilic held to 15 in the tenth game to take the first set.

Some Murray miscues led to another break two games later.

Murray got into some snippish exchanges with the chair umpire over his use of the microphone, but in the end it was Cilic who made the biggest noise, rifling a backhand victor to end the match.

Cilic cut loose with a flurry of two-fisted air punches and roared in celebration.

It was Cilic’s third win in 14 attempts against Murray, who will now look to repeat his 2012 US Open title when the year’s final Grand Slam starts on 29 August.

In the second set, one of the best returners in tennis history barely got a sniff as Cilic continued to serve with enormous power and accuracy, while his eventual tally of 24 winners was three times that of his opponent.