Second-ranked Andy Murray was surprisingly ousted from the US Open today by 16th-seeded Croatian Marin Cilic, a lopsided 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 match in the fourth round. Cilic overcame two set points in the first set, then pounded Murray over the last two to make his first career Grand Slam quarterfinal. Murray, who lost to Roger Federer in the final at Flushing Meadows last year, will finish 2009 without making a major final.
The match ended in late afternoon in New York, and before newspaper deadlines back in Murray's native England, where the sports sections follow Murray's every move. Certainly, those headlines won't be nice tomorrow morning. "Today, I could've been better in pretty much every part of my game, whether it was mental, forehand, backhand, return," said Murray, who conceded that, yes, this was the most disappointing loss of his career. (More US Open Tennis stories.)