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Washington - Three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray, working his way into shape six months after right hip surgery, lost on Friday alongside brother Jamie in the ATP Washington Open doubles quarter-finals.
The British duo, playing together for the first time since the 2016 Rio Olympics, lost to New Zealand's Michael Venus and South African Raven Klaasen 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (8/6), 10-7 at the US Open tuneup event, where Murray has practiced singles as well.
"I feel fine, just disappointed," Murray said of his condition after the defeat.
"Practices have been fine."
Murray, who feared his career might be over after the January operation, hasn't played singles since the Australian Open but says he might return at the ATP Cincinnati Masters that begins August 12, two weeks before the start of the US Open in New York.
"Just keep pressing next 10 days," Murray said.
"If I feel ready, I'll give it a go. If not, I'll probably wait until after New York."
Murray, set to play doubles next week at Montreal alongside Spaniard Feliciano Lopez, doesn't want his first singles matches back to be the best-of-five-set variety offered in Grand Slams.
He ruled out playing in Winston-Salem the week before the US Open, figuring the time would be better spent practicing for a post-US Open return as he works to recover top form and conditioning.
"I don't see the point of it necessarily," Murray said.
"I've never competed the week before a Slam. If I'm not ready five or six days beforehand I'll give it a miss."
The 32-year-old Scotsman, a former world number one now ranked 222nd, captured Grand Slam singles crowns at the 2012 US Open and at Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016.
Russian third seed Daniil Medvedev advanced to the semi-finals by defeating Croatian sixth seed and 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic 6-4, 7-6 (9/7).
Medvedev, chasing his fifth career ATP title after winning in February at Sofia, took the only break at the start on the way to denying Cilic his first semi-final of the year in capturing their first-ever meeting.
"I served really great. That was one of the keys," Medvedev said.
"I managed to do what I had to do, hold my serve and win the tie-breaker. I'm really happy with my level of play."
Next up for Medvedev will be 122nd-ranked German lucky loser Peter Gojowczyk, who outlasted British 13th seed Kyle Edmund 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.
Gojowczyk, who only made the event after Australia's Bernard Tomic dropped out with a finger injury, added the world number 34 to a US capital victims list that includes Canada's 20th-ranked Milos Raonic and 25th-ranked Aussie Alex De Minaur.
"I was actually surprised to play any matches and now I'm in the semis," Gojowczyk said. "I'm relaxed on the court, hit the ball hard -- I'm lucky loser, don't think about it, go for the shot. I look for my game and I've found it."
The only ATP title for Gojowczyk came at Metz in 2017.
Greek top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas will jump to a career-high fifth in the world rankings if he can defeat French 10th seed Benoit Paire in a later quarter-final.
The 20-year-old Australian Open semi-finalist would overtake Germany's Alexander Zverev, who is off after winning 2017 and 2018 titles at Washington. Zverev beat Tsitsipas in last year's Washington semis.
The Tsitsipas-Paire winner advances to a Saturday semi-final against either 137th-ranked Slovakian lucky loser Norbert Gombos or Australia's Nick Kyrgios.
In the accompanying WTA event, Russian qualifier Anna Kalinskaya ousted France's Kristina Mladenovic 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 to book a semi-final date with American Jessica Pegula, who beat compatriot Lauren Davis 6-2, 7-6 (7/2).
"It was a nice win," Kalinskaya said. "I tried to be more consistent, less in a rush to play, and that's why I've improved."
Results from Friday's matches at the ATP and WTA Washington Open (x denotes seeding):
Men
Quarter-finals
Peter Gojowczyk (GER) bt Kyle Edmund (GBR x13) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
Daniil Medvedev (RUS x3) bt Marin Cilic (CRO x6) 6-4, 7-6 (9/7)
Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE x1) bt Benoit Paire (FRA x10) 7-5, 6-0
Nick Kyrgios (AUS) bt Norbert Gombos (SVK) 6-3, 6-3
Women
Quarter-finals
Jessica Pegula (USA) bt Lauren Davis (USA) 6-2, 7-6 (7/2)
Anna Kalinskaya (RUS) bt Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
Catherine McNally (USA) bt Hsieh Su-Wei (TPE x4) 6-4, 6-3
Camila Giorgi (ITA) bt Zarina Diyas (KAZ) 6-3, 6-2
