Western & Southern Open Painful for Andy Murray and Felix Auger-Aliassime

After making it to the third round at the Rogers Cup last week, Canadian teen Felix Auger-Aliassime found himself heading home early at the Western & Southern Open after falling to Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic during the first round.

An ATP Tour 1000 Masters event, it saw several strong hopefuls exiting the tournament after failing to get the job done. That included Andy Murray, who hasn’t played since January when it was determined he again needed hip surgery. Murray, paired against Richard Gasquet, watched in disappointment as Gasquet dominated the two set match winning 6-4, 6-4. For Gasquet, it brought an end to a five game losing streak, for Murray, it has him questioning whether his career as a competitive tennis player is over.

Murray went in for surgery at the end of January and had several metal implants added in an effort to reduce the pain he was experiencing. While he has played several double tournaments, his hopes for a strong showing in Cincinnati quickly came to an end. In other tennis news, both Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic remain in the tournament, and for both, it is their first since Wimbledon and one they are playing in preparation for the U.S. Open. The other star attraction is Rafael Nadal, but he chose to withdraw due to being tired after winning the Rogers Cup last Sunday in Montreal.

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Also electing to withdraw from the Western & Southern Open due to scheduling conflicts was Mississauga’s Bianca Andreescu, also a winner at last week’s Rogers Cup.  The popular Canadian was awarded a win at the final last Sunday after Serena Williams was unable to continue due to back problems.

Richard Gasquet will now move on to the second round where he will face Dominic Thiem, ranked fourth in the world, it will be a tough battle for the 56th ranked Gasquet. Top seeded Marin Cilic is the first seeded men’s player to lose at the Open after he was beaten 6-4, 7-6 by Moldova’s Radu Albot on Monday. In women’s tennis Venus Williams, who is unseeded, managed to earn a victory over Lauren Davis after coming on strong late in the second set to win the last four games. That will see Williams facing Kiki Bertens, the Western & Southern Open defending champion.

As the Western & Southern Open heats up, those with interest in tennis betting will find many top rated sportsbooks offering action on upcoming matches. This includes Spin Sports, a Canadian friendly bookmaker offering newly register punters the opportunity to claim up to $200 free when making their first deposit. Register today in advance of the upcoming final and the U.S. Open, which is set to begin on the 26th of August.