Rob Carr/Getty Images
MASON, Ohio — Andy Murray stepped back into the fray of singles tennis on Monday, seven months after he seemed ready to bid farewell to the sport.
Dusting off a game coated with rust, Murray lost to Richard Gasquet, 6-4, 6-4, in the first round of the Cincinnati Masters but showed flashes of the ability that had taken him to the No. 1 ranking and three Grand Slam titles.
“I don’t really know what I was expecting, to be honest,” said Murray, who announced after the loss that he would not play singles at the United States Open, which begins on Aug.