Murray ends Dent’s run at U.S. Open
No. 2 seed trying to become first Brit to win tournament since 1930s
 | British tennis player Andy Murray reacts during his match against Taylor Dent on Sunday. |
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NEW YORK - Andy Murray loves New York, even if the feeling wasn’t exactly mutual Sunday night at the U.S. Open.
Murray had to play the role of the bad guy, ending American wild-card entry Taylor Dent’s improbable run with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory in the third round at Flushing Meadows.
“Obviously the crowd wanted Taylor to win,” Murray said, “but I played very well.”
The No. 2-seeded Murray is trying to become the first British man since the 1930s to win a Grand Slam singles title. The 195th-ranked Dent of Newport Beach, Calif., meanwhile, was thrilled to return to the U.S. Open for the first time since 2005 — and even more pleased to win two matches.
Dent once was ranked as high as 21st, but he was told by doctors he might not be able to play professional tennis again after having three back operations.
“It’s nothing but positive for me. This is a huge step forward in my progression,” Dent said. “I’m glad to be back, but I’m sorry I’m not sticking around.”
Murray, the runner-up to Roger Federer at the 2008 U.S. Open, made it into the fourth round for the sixth consecutive major tournament. He has said he wants to win a U.S. Open title, perhaps even more than he wants to win Wimbledon.
“I’ve always enjoyed the atmosphere. New York’s one of my favorite cities,” Murray said. “I came here the first time when I was 15 to play the juniors, and we got treated great here.”
Sunday night’s matchup pitted one of tennis’ top returners (Murray) against an old-style serve-and-volleyer (Dent).
It wasn’t even close.
“He doesn’t miss. He really doesn’t miss,” Dent said. “I don’t think that I served great tonight, but I don’t think that I served poorly, either. But he made it look and feel like I served it underhanded out there sometimes.”
He averaged 19 aces in his two victories at the Open — and hit only two against Murray, who returned 60 of Dent’s 68 serves into play. Murray accumulated 11 break points and converted six.
“I thought I returned really, really well,” said Murray, who faces No. 16 Marin Cilic of Croatia next. “I thought that was the key to the match.”
In other action, Rafael Nadal, who missed Wimbledon with sore knees, needed a 10-minute injury break for a trainer to work on his abdominals early in the third set of his 7-5, 6-4, 6-4 victory over No. 32 Nicolas Almagro on Sunday.
The stomach injury first cropped up for Nadal last month at a tournament in Cincinnati.
While Nadal laid on the ground to receive treatment, Almagro was laying down to get work done on his back.
The Spaniards popped back up and Nadal finished the work, staying in the hunt to complete his career Grand Slam, though it has yet to be seen what kind of toll this match took on him.
“I feel it a little bit now, but I’ll try my best to recover for the next match,” said Nadal, who has insisted all week that he’s been feeling fine. “I’m here to work hard and try my best all the time.”
Also Sunday, No. 11 Fernando Gonzalez advanced, as did No. 6 Juan Martin del Potro and No. 7 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. No. 13 seed Gael Monfils moved on when Jose Acasuso retired with an injury — not immediately disclosed — in the third set, while 24th-seeded Juan Carlos Ferrero won when ninth-seeded Gilles Simon retired in the fourth set with a right knee injury.
“Sometimes, I don’t know why, I just feel a big pain,” said Simon, who added that he’s had problems with the knee since the French Open in May.
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