With an epic 6-3 6-3 4-6 6-7(7) 7-6 (10-6) victory on Tuesday, a classic Andy Murray overcame a gallant comeback from Matteo Berrettini to knock the 13th-seeded Italian out of the Australian Open first round.
With an epic 6-3 6-3 4-6 6-7(7) 7-6 (10-6) victory on Tuesday, a classic Andy Murray overcame a gallant comeback from Matteo Berrettini to knock the 13th-seeded Italian out of the Australian Open first round.
The 35-year-old Scot raced out of the blocks to win the first two sets under the roof of Rod Laver Arena with the majority of the crowd in his palm, but he ended up in a long, attritional fight almost inevitably.
Murray has finished in second place five times in the tournament, but he has never won it. At Melbourne Park, he hasn’t always been successful, as Berrettini showed up ready to level the match after a lengthy off-court break in between sets.
However, Murray never wavered in his determination, and after saving a match point, he held his nerve in the 10-point tiebreak to win the match with incredible luck by returning a bunted forehand that hit the net and gave Berrettini no chance.
After the four-hour, 49-minute struggle, Murray stated in court, “I’ll be feeling this evening and tomorrow, but right now I’m just unbelievably happy, just proud of myself.”
For a spot in the third round, Murray will face the winner of Thanasi Kokkinakis vs. Fabio Fognini, an experienced Italian.
The 35-year-old could have saved his legs a couple of hours of work by winning a breakpoint in the third set when he was up 2-1, but he missed the opportunity when he threw in a forehand.
Even though a determined Murray channeled his 2016 glory and produced a highlight reel of angled winners, Berrettini made the most of his reprieve and served like a machine to level the match.
After eliminating Murray in the third round of the U.S. Open four months earlier, Berrettini appeared to be Murray’s Grand Slam foe once more.
In the fifth set, with a 5-4 lead, the Italian, who reached the semifinals last year, delivered a crushing return to earn a match point. Murray lobbed over an erroneous drop shot that Berrettini swooped on, but his passing shot went straight into the net, leaving fans gasping for air.
After that, the match fell through the Italian’s hands, and Murray took a 6-1 lead in the tiebreak to advance with a helpful kiss from the net.
It was a cruel defeat for Berrettini, who had come back from 8-6 down in the tiebreak to win seven of his previous eight matches over five sets.
However, the experienced Scot, who gave his metal hip a thorough workout, was the only one who could compete with the 26-year-old.
He stated, “Could have, you know, been different just with a different ball.” “It’s amazing what he was able to do after so many surgeries and so many miles he ran in his career.