"He's obviously one of the best players in the world on all surfaces, as he showed this year" - Andy Murray on Rafael Nadal after reaching US Open 2R

Andy Murray has hailed Rafael Nadal as one of the best all-surface players in the sport after reaching the US Open second round on Monday.

The 2012 winner opened his campaign for a second Flushing Meadows title with a comprehensive straight-sets win over 24th seed Francisco Cerundolo. Murray squandered a 5-2 lead in the opener as his opponent fought back, but the Scot reasserted his ascendancy to take the first set.

It was smooth sailing for the 35-year-old in the next two sets, dropping three games apiece to reach the second round in New York for the third time in his last four visits.

In his post-match press conference, Murray was asked about Nadal, whom he termed one of the best players ever. The Spaniard, seeded second this fortnight, is 19-0 in Majors this year. He won the Australian Open and Roland Garros and also reached the Wimbledon semifinals. However, an abdominal tear sustained in his quarterfinal win over Taylor Fritz forced him to withdraw from the tournament.

"He's clearly one of the best players to ever play. Obviously his achievements this year have been brilliant. The match to turn the Australian Open around this year was, you know, was exceptional. It was obviously unfortunate at Wimbledon. But yeah, I mean, he's obviously still one of the best players in the world on all of the surfaces, as he showed this year."

Nadal and Murray are in the opposite halves of the draw, so the two cannot meet before the final.

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"It was a good win for me" - Andy Murray

Andy Murray exults after reaching the second round at the US Open on Monday.

Unseeded at this year's US Open, Andy Murray was pleased to get past a seeded opponent in the very first round.

This marked the first time in five years that the three-time Major winner registered a straight-sets win at a Grand Slam. Murray hasn't played much since a hip replacement surgery four years ago.

Pleased with his performance against a 'top' player, the Scot said:

"To be honest, I don't know why exactly that's been the case. I mean, obviously been battling a few things the last few years. But, it's obviously nice any time, especially in those conditions and early on in a slam, to get through in straight sets. I mean, you know, he's a top player, and he's probably only getting better, as well. It was a good win for me."

Andy Murray will next face wildcard Emilio Nava on Wednesday for a place in the third round.

Also Checkout:- US Open 2022 Results