Murray digs deep to win at Citi Open, gets emotional

Andy Murray sat in his changeover chair and sobbed into a towel after winning his third consecutive three-setter to reach the Citi Open quarter-finals, then complained about a schedule that had him on the court

until 3 am.

Murray worked deep into the night to get past 93rd-ranked Marius Copil of Romania 6-7 (5), 6-3, 7-6 (4) in a match that finished in the wee hours in front of 100 or so spectators after beginning at midnight as Thursday turned to Friday.

"Finishing matches at 3 in the morning is not good. It's not good for the players. It's not good for anyone, I don't think, involved in the event. It's not good for fans, TV. Nobody," said Murray, a former No. 1 and three-time Grand Slam champion who is trying to return to form after having hip surgery in January.

Currently ranked 832nd, Murray ended an 11-month absence from the tour in June, playing just three matches before arriving at the Citi Open. Murray has now played a trio of three-setters — each lasting more than 2 1/2 hours — in a four-day span. He's scheduled to face 19-year-old Alex de Minaur of Australia in the quarterfinals Friday night.

But speaking to a small group of reporters outside the locker room, Murray said he "potentially" could consider not playing. "I'm giving my view right now as someone who's just come back from a very, very long injury layoff. I don't think I should be put in a position like that, when you're expected to come out and perform the next day. I don't think it's reasonable," Murray said. "And I'm disappointed with that, because I know that the weather's tricky and I know it is for the scheduling, but it's a very difficult position to be in."

Thursday's play at the hard-court tune-up for the US Open was delayed at the outset by about 3 1/2 hours because of rain. Showers earlier in the week jumbled the schedule and forced some other men to play two matches on Thursday.

Asked after beating Copil how his body is holding up, Murray replied: "It doesn't feel great, just now."

"I don't know how you are expected to recover from that. By the time you're done

with all your recovery and stuff, it's going to be 5:30, 6 o'clock in the morning. I'd obviously try and sleep as late as I can, but with the way your body clock is and stuff, you know, you might get a few hours' sleep," Murray said.