(October 5, 2016) Top seed Andy Murray beat Andrey Kuznetsov 6-2, 6-1 at the China Open on Wednesday to set up an all-British quarterfinal against Davis Cup teammate Kyle Edmund.
Edmund, who came into the event as a qualifier, upset seventh seed Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
With the Maria Sharapova doping ban reduced on Tuesday, Murray was asked about Head who makes both Sharapova’s and Murray’s tennis racquets. Head put out a press release as well as social media posts with a “#WestoodwithMaria” hashtag supporting Sharapova, which received some scrutiny.
Murray responded: “Well, I think Head made themselves pretty clear in March time when obviously the story came out how they were going to handle it. They said that they were going to support her through it all. I don’t think anyone maybe should have been surprised by it because of how they reacted in March.
“I spoke about it back then, how I felt about it. Obviously when I was asked about it yesterday, I was asked about the sentence potentially being reduced. It doesn’t mean I’ve changed my stance on how I feel about it.
“Maria competed at the Australian Open whilst using a banned drug, and then deserves a suspension. The time of the suspension, that’s not up to me. With everything that’s gone on this year with meldonium, obviously there were going to be some issues with that legally.
“But, yeah, obviously it’s done now. I’ve answered so many questions on it this year, all through March, and again here, I don’t feel like I need to keep talking about it. I’ve made my position very clear on how I felt about it. It’s the same as it was in March, and I’ll move on.”
In the women’s event, top seed Angelique Kerber had a 6-3, 7-6 (4) win over Barbora Strycova.
Asked about her thoughts about Sharapova’s ban reduction, the world No. 1 said: “You know, actually at the end the final decision is out. That’s all I can say because I don’t know exactly the whole story. I was not into it.
“Yeah, now she’s coming back in April, I think. Yeah, this is all I can say actually to this thing.”
Asked by a reporter if tennis missed Sharapova, the German responded: “I don’t know. I mean, you know, everybody is going her own way. Actually, you know, this is what I can say from my position. I’m not thinking about this because that’s her way. She have to go through it. Yeah, I think she’s looking back to being back on court.”
In other women’s results, US Open finalist Karolina Pliskova survived a match point to win 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7) win over 19-year-old Daria Kasatkina. The win clinched a spot in the WTA Year-End event in Singapore.
Petra Kvitova beat second seed Garbine Muguruza 6-1, 6-4 to advance. Kvitova is a on a winning streak in China, last week winning the Wuhan Open.
Other winners included Madison Keys, Johanna Konta, Daria Gavrilova, Elina Svitolina and Caroline Garcia.
RESULTS – WEDNESDAY, 5 OCTOBER 2016
Men’s Singles – Second Round
[1] A. Murray (GBR) d A. Kuznetsov (RUS) 62 61
[5] D. Ferrer (ESP) d F. Fognini (ITA) 63 64
[Q] K. Edmund (GBR) d [7] R. Bautista Agut (ESP) 64 46 64
A. Zverev (GER) d J. Sock (USA) 64 62
Men’s Singles – First Round
[8] R. Gasquet (FRA) d S. Querrey (USA) 26 63 62
P. Carreno Busta (ESP) d B. Tomic (AUS) 63 61
M. Jaziri (TUN) d G. Pella (ARG) 64 64
G. Dimitrov (BUL) d S. Johnson (USA) 75 67(9) 64
[Q] A. Mannarino (FRA) d A. Ramos-Vinolas (ESP) 63 46 63
Men’s Doubles – Quarterfinals
P. Carreno Busta (ESP) / R. Nadal (ESP) d [WC] M. Gong (CHN) / Z. Zhang (CHN) 75 63
Doubles – First Round
[1] B. Bryan (USA) / M. Bryan (USA) d R. Bautista Agut (ESP) / D. Ferrer (ESP) 61 36 16-14
[2] L. Kubot (POL) / M. Melo (BRA) d P. Cuevas (URU) / V. Troicki (SRB) 76(10) 63
R. Gasquet (FRA) / L. Pouille (FRA) d M. Pavic (CRO) / M. Venus (NZL) 46 64 10-6
J. Benneteau (FRA) / E. Roger-Vasselin (FRA) d M. Raonic (CAN) / N. Zimonjic (SRB) 64 75
Women’s Singles – Third Round
[14] P. Kvitova (CZE) d [2] G. Muguruza (ESP) 61 64
[8] M. Keys (USA) d [9] S. Kuznetsova (RUS) 76(2) 62
Second Round
[1] A. Kerber (GER) d B. Strycova (CZE) 63 76(4)
[5] K. Pliskova (CZE) d D. Kasatkina (RUS) 36 75 76(7)
[11] J. Konta (GBR) d T. Babos (HUN) 75 62
D. Gavrilova (AUS) d [12] T. Bacsinszky (SUI) 46 60 64
[16] E. Svitolina (UKR) d [WC] S. Lisicki (GER) 64 64
C. Garcia (FRA) d [WC] S. Peng (CHN) 63 36 76(4)
Women’s Doubles – Second Round
[1] C. Garcia (FRA) / K. Mladenovic (FRA) d A. Krunic (SRB) / K. Siniakova (CZE) 60 26 10-7
[WC] C. Mchale (USA) / S. Peng (CHN) d [2] E. Makarova (RUS) / E. Vesnina (RUS) 63 61
[3] H. Chan (TPE) / Y. Chan (TPE) d V. King (USA) / M. Niculescu (ROU) 76(6) 64
G. Dabrowski (CAN) / M. Martínez Sánchez (ESP) d [4] S. Mirza (IND) / B. Strycova (CZE) 46 61 10-4
[5] B. Mattek-Sands (USA) / L. Safarova (CZE) d K. Bondarenko (UKR) / C. Chuang (TPE) 61 64
J. Goerges (GER) / K. Pliskova (CZE) d [7] M. Hingis (SUI) / C. Vandeweghe (USA) 64 36 10-8
[WC] T. Bacsinszky (SUI) / J. Ostapenko (LAT) d [8] T. Babos (HUN) / Y. Shvedova (KAZ) 76(3) 06 10-5
L. Arruabarrena (ESP) / O. Kalashnikova (GEO) d A. Klepac (SLO) / K. Srebotnik (SLO) 57 75 10-4
SCHEDULE – THURSDAY, 6 OCTOBER 2016
NATIONAL TENNIS STADIUM start 12:30 pm
WTA – [3] A. Radwanska (POL) vs C. Wozniacki (DEN)
WTA – [1] A. Kerber (GER) vs [16] E. Svitolina (UKR)
Not Before 4:00 pm
ATP – [6] L. Pouille (FRA) vs G. Dimitrov (BUL)
Not Before 7:30 pm
WTA – S. Zhang (CHN) vs [4] S. Halep (ROU)
Not Before 9:00 pm
ATP – [Q] A. Mannarino (FRA) vs [2] R. Nadal (ESP)
LOTUS COURT start 12:30 pm
WTA – [5] K. Pliskova (CZE) vs [11] J. Konta (GBR)
Not Before 2:00 pm
ATP – [8] R. Gasquet (FRA) vs P. Carreno Busta (ESP)
Not Before 4:30 pm
WTA – A. Cornet (FRA) vs Y. Shvedova (KAZ)
Not Before 6:30 pm
ATP – M. Jaziri (TUN) vs [3] M. Raonic (CAN)
MOON COURT start 12:30 pm
WTA – [3] H. Chan (TPE) / Y. Chan (TPE) vs L. Arruabarrena (ESP) / O. Kalashnikova (GEO)
WTA – D. Gavrilova (AUS) vs C. Garcia (FRA)
ATP – J. Benneteau (FRA) / E. Roger-Vasselin (FRA) vs [2] L. Kubot (POL) / M. Melo (BRA)
WTA – After suitable rest – [1] C. Garcia (FRA) / K. Mladenovic (FRA) vs [WC] T. Bacsinszky (SUI) / J. Ostapenko (LAT)
BRAD DREWETT start 1:30 pm
ATP – J. Sock (USA) / B. Tomic (AUS) vs [Q] P. Lorenzi (ITA) / G. Pella (ARG)
WTA – After suitable rest – J. Goerges (GER) / K. Pliskova (CZE) vs G. Dabrowski (CAN) / M. Martínez Sánchez (ESP) or [4] S. Mirza (IND) / B. Strycova (CZE)
Not Before 5:00 pm
ATP – TBA – [1] B. Bryan (USA) / M. Bryan (USA) vs R. Gasquet (FRA) / L. Pouille (FRA)
At the Japan Open, former champions Kei Nishikori and Tomas Berdych both lost.
Nishikori was forced to retire from his match with a left Glute injury.
Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships
Tokyo, Japan
RESULTS – WEDNESDAY, 5 OCTOBER 2016
Singles – Second Round
J. Sousa (POR) d [1] K. Nishikori (JPN) 34 ret. (left glute)
[4] M. Cilic (CRO) d F. Verdasco (ESP) 46 75 75
[5] D. Goffin (BEL) d J. Vesely (CZE) 63 75
[PR] J. Monaco (ARG) d [Q] J. Duckworth (AUS) 76(3) 63
Singles – First Round
G. Muller (LUX) d [3] T. Berdych (CZE) 76(7) 61
Doubles – Quarter-finals
M. Granollers (ESP) / M. Matkowski (POL) d [3] D. Inglot (GBR) / J. Rojer (NED) 76(6) 36 10-7
Doubles – First Round
[2] R. Klaasen (RSA) / R. Ram (USA) d [Q] N. Monroe (USA) / A. Sitak (NZL) 64 62
R. Lindstedt (SWE) / A. Peya (AUT) d [4] H. Kontinen (FIN) / J. Peers (AUS) 67(5) 63 14-12
A. Qureshi (PAK) / G. Simon (FRA) d O. Marach (AUT) / F. Martin (FRA) 16 64 13-11
SCHEDULE – THURSDAY, 6 OCTOBER 2016
CENTRE COURT start 11:00 am
[6] N. Kyrgios (AUS) vs [Q] R. Stepanek (CZE)
M. Baghdatis (CYP) vs G. Muller (LUX)
G. Simon (FRA) vs [2] G. Monfils (FRA)
[7] I. Karlovic (CRO) vs [PR] J. Tipsarevic (SRB)
Not Before 6:00 pm
[1] J. Murray (GBR) / B. Soares (BRA) vs J. Cabal (COL) / R. Farah (COL)
SHOW COURT 1 Not Before 1:00 pm
T. Berdych (CZE) / R. Stepanek (CZE) vs [2] R. Klaasen (RSA) / R. Ram (USA)