Andy Murray will face Grigor Dimitrov in the second round of the US Open.

2012 US Open champion Murray will face nineteenth seed Dimitrov on the main court in Arthur Ashe Stadium. This comes after the Brit defeated French tennis player Corentin Moutet in straight sets, 6-2, 7-5, 6-3 in the opening round.

After his first-match win, Murray said that he feels as though he is playing his best tennis since his hip surgery in 2017, suggesting that he is optimistic about achieving a deep run at the Slam. He will be especially keen to avoid a repeat of his disappointing second-round match at Wimbledon where he lost to Stefanos Tsitispas in a five-set battle.

Meanwhile, Dimitrov got through his first round with a bit more difficulty, defeating Alex Molcan in a five-set battle where three sets went to a tiebreak. The match went on for almost four hours and 40 minutes, making it the longest of the day.

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The Bulgarian made it to the fourth round of the 2023 French Open and Wimbledon. However, he is currently dealing with a back injury which is making it difficult for him to play at his best.

Murray and Dimitrov to resume head-to-head

The two men have faced each other 11 times in the past. Murray currently has a commanding lead over Dimitrov of 8-3 in their head-to-head, but this will be their first match in 7 years.

They last played against each other at the 2016 China Open, a few months before Murray would end the year as world No. 1. He won that match against Dimitrov 6-4, 7-6 (2).

However, a lot has changed since then, and an on-form Murray in 2023 is not as unbeatable as he was before his hip surgery in 2017. Moreover, Dimitrov currently sits 18 places above Murray in the ATP Ranking, where the latter is ranked No. 37.

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Nevertheless, the Scot looks to be on his best form in recent years, and Dimitrov's back injury combined with a grueling first round means that Murray is predicted to win this match and progress to the third round of the US Open.

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Andy Murray 🆚 Grigor Dimitrov Which way will this one go? 💭

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