"It's still possible to do it; I would just need to have a good run in Canada or Cincinnati" - Andy Murray on getting seeded at US Open after Citi Open loss

Andy Murray lost in the opening round at the Citi Open on Monday

Andy Murray said after his Citi Open loss to Mikael Ymer on Monday that he could be seeded at the US Open if he has a deep run at the Canada Masters or Cincinnati. The 35-year-old, ranked 50th in the ATP rankings, fell to Ymer in three sets to suffer his second opening-round defeat at the Citi Open.

In a near three-hour clash, Murray squandered four set points in the opening set - one at 6-5 and three in the ensuing tie-break - to drop the opener. He then fought back from a 3-1 deficit in the second to restore parity but ran out of steam in the third, winning just one game.

A moment that @MikaelYmer will never forget 🙌

What a performance from the 23-year-old against Murray!

#CitiOpen

https://t.co/owPzUvnKI2

The three-time Major winner will now look to fare better at the Canada Masters and Cincinnati to give himself a chance of being seeded at the US Open. In his press conference following his defeat to Ymer, Murray admitted likewise.

"It's still possible to do it (getting seeded at the US Open). I would just need to have a good run in Canada or Cincinnati really. It's pretty straightforward," he said.

However, he added that he'll need to significantly improve his current level to reach the quarterfinals or semifinals at either Masters 1000 tournament.

"If I was to make a quarterfinal or a semifinal there, which right now doesn't seem -- after a loss like that doesn't seem realistic," Murray said. "But I do feel like if I play very well that I could do that. But, yeah, I'll need to certainly play better than I did today."

It was Murray's 12th defeat of the year after making the Newport quarterfinals two weeks ago.

"Obviously I feel like I could have done better" - Andy Murray

Andy Murray was understandably dejected after his early exit at the Citi Open. The 2006 finalist rued his defeat despite arriving early in DC to get acclimatized with the heat.

Admitting that he needs to sort out his physical issues, as he'll face similar conditions leading up to the US Open, Murray tried to dwell on the positives - having more time to prepare for his next tournament.

"The only positive is now that I get more time to prepare for the tournament in Canada," he said. "I guess if I can address sort of the physical issue I've had the last couple of tournaments, that would be a positive thing. I obviously need to address that now. The conditions are difficult also in Canada, Cincinnati and New York."

Stepping up on Stadium Court 👏

🇸🇪 @MikaelYmer scores a 7-6(8), 4-6, 6-1 victory over Murray!

#CitiOpen https://t.co/W5sRcuZYZW

The Scot added that he could have played better against Ymer, especially in the first set, which was his to lose.

"Right now I'm not seeing lots of positives. I arrived here early to try and prepare as best as I could to give myself a chance to play well. Obviously I feel like I could have done better," Murray said.

Murray will now head to the Canada Masters, where he's a two-time winner. He hasn't played there since winning his third title in 2015, though.

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