US Open, day 4 men’s roundup: Dimitrov, Raonic knocked out; Auger-Aliassime beats Murray

Second seed Dominic Thiem eased into the third round of the US Open on Thursday with a straight-sets win on his birthday while third seed Daniil Medvedev made light work of his second-round match against Christoper O’Connell.

The Austrian celebrated turning 27 by defeating India’s Sumit Nagal 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 inside an empty Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The Russian progressed to the third round 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 at the expense of the 116th-ranked Australian inside the US National Tennis Center’s Louis Armstrong Stadium.

The world No 3 Thiem will play 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic in round three. Cilic, seeded 31st, took four sets to overcome Slovakian Norbert Gombos 6-3, 1-6, 7-6, 7-5.

US Open 2020: Sumit Nagal out in round two after straight-sets loss to second seed Dominic Thiem

Andy Murray crashed out in straight sets to 15th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime.

The former world number one was demolished by the 20-year-old Canadian 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 inside Arthur Ashe Stadium in 2hr 8min.

Murray, playing in his first singles Grand Slam since the 2019 Australian Open, had rallied to win a thrilling five-set match against Japan’s 49th-ranked Yoshihito Nishioka the first round on Tuesday.

But the Scotsman, who is trying to rebuild his career after an injury-ravaged three years, was unable to repeat the heroics against the big-serving 21st-ranked Auger-Aliassime who dominated from start to finish.

US Open 2020: Andy Murray’s amazing fighting spirit adds another chapter to his legend

The Canadian smashed 24 aces and 52 winners in a one-sided affair. Murray mustered just two aces and nine winners. Felix Auger-Aliassime amassed 97 winning points compared to Murray’s 68.

Fourteenth seed and last year’s semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov tumbled out at the second-round stage along with Milos Roanic, the 25th seed and last week’s runner-up to Novak Djokovic at Western & Southern Open.

The Bulgarian fell to 66th-ranked Hungarian Marton Fucsovics in five sets. Fucsovics downed Dimitrov, a semi-finalist at Flushing Meadows last year, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/4), 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 in 4hr 50min.

Dimitrov became the second-highest men’s seed to exit the tournament after Chile’s Cristian Garin, seeded 13th, lost in five sets on Wednesday.

Canadian Raonic was taken down 6-7, 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 by his countryman Vasek Pospisil.