Murray beats US Open semi-finalist for best win since surgery

Beijing - Andy Murray claimed his biggest scalp since career-saving hip surgery with victory over 13th-ranked Matteo Berrettini at the China Open on Tuesday.

The 32-year-old defeated the US Open semi-finalist 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (9/7) in just over two hours in the first round in smoggy Beijing.

Murray last week won his first ATP singles match since a major operation in January, as he attempts to get back to a semblance of his best form after a long layoff.

Now ranked 503 in the world, the three-time Grand Slam champion from Britain fought back from a break down to force a tiebreak in the first set against the Italian.

Murray showed glimpses of the steely determination which made him world No 1 in 2016 as he grabbed the first set from the eighth-seeded Berrettini.

The second set went with serve and again to a tiebreak, with Murray saving two set points on the way to a gutsy win.

Results from the WTA/ATP China Open tennis in Beijing on Tuesday (x denotes seeding):

Women

Second round

Ashleigh Barty (AUS x1) bt Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) 6-4, 6-2

Petra Kvitova (CZE x7) bt Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) 6-4, 6-4

Sofia Kenin (USA x15) bt Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 6-3, 6-2

Polona Hercog (SLO) bt Angelique Kerber (GER x10) 6-4, 6-2

Naomi Osaka (JPN x4) bt Andrea Petkovic (GER) 6-2, 6-0

Darya Kasatkina (RUS) bt Aryna Sabalenka (BLR x12) 6-4, 7-6 (7/5)

Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x16) bt Christina McHale (USA) 6-4, 6-0

Men

First round

Dominic Thiem (AUT x1) bt Richard Gasquet (FRA) 6-4, 6-1

Andy Murray (GBR) bt Matteo Berrettini (ITA x8) 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (9/7)

Fabio Fognini (ITA x6) bt Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (8/6)

John Isner (USA) bt Gael Monfils (FRA x7) 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3

Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) bt Guido Pella (ARG) 6-4, 7-6 (7/3)

Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE x3) bt Dusan Lajovic (SRB) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4

Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) bt Albert Ramos (ESP) 6-3, 6-4