Olympics: Ashleigh Barty suffers upset defeat; Andy Murray withdraws from men's singles

Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo defeated Barty 6-4, 6-3 in straight sets to enter the next round. The entire match lasted for one hour and 34 minutes.
Andy Murray, of Britain, played in a doubles match during the first round of the tennis competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics. (Photo | AP)
Andy Murray, of Britain, played in a doubles match during the first round of the tennis competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics. (Photo | AP)

TOKYO: Wimbledon 2021 champion Ashleigh Barty was knocked out of the women's singles event here in the ongoing Tokyo Olympics on Sunday.

Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo defeated Barty 6-4, 6-3 in straight sets to enter the next round. The entire match lasted for one hour and 34 minutes.

Sorribes came out all guns blazing in the first set and Barty had no answers to what was being thrown at her, and in the end, she took the first set 6-4.

Carrying on with her momentum, Sorribes kept on her charge in the second set, winning it 6-3, and as a result, she wrapped up the match in straight sets.

Earlier on Sunday, India's women's tennis duo of Sania Mirza and Ankita Raina suffered a very disappointing defeat in the first round of the Tokyo Olympics in the doubles event here at Ariake Tennis Court 11.

The Ukrainian team of Lyudmyla Viktorivna Kichenok and Nadiia Viktorivna Kichenok knocked out the Indian pair 6-0, 7-6, 10-8 in one hour and 33 minutes.

Earlier on Saturday, Sumit Nagal progressed to the second round of the men's singles. He outclassed Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin 6-4, 6-7, 6-4 to book a clash with World Number 2 Daniil Medvedev.

British tennis player Andy Murray on Sunday withdrew himself from the men's singles event of the Tokyo Olympics.

Murray was defending his Olympic gold medal but the British player decided to pull out in order to manage his workload.

However, he will continue to compete for Team GB in the men's doubles tournament with Joe Salisbury.

The decision follows consultation with medical staff in relation to a quad strain.

"I am really disappointed at having to withdraw but the medical staff have advised me against playing in both events, so I have made the difficult decision to withdraw from the singles and focus on playing doubles with Joe," said Murray in an official statement.

Murray had won an Olympic gold at the London 2012 Games and Rio 2016 Games.

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