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Tennis – Australian Open – Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia – January 17, 2023 England’s Andy Murray celebrates his first round win over Italy’s Matteo Berrettini REUTERS/Hannah Mckay
MELBOURNE—Antique Andy Murray endured a blistering attack from Matteo Berrettini before dumping the Italian 13th seed in the first round of the Australian Open in an epic 6-3 6-3 4-6 6-7(7) 7-6 (10). -6) win there.
With so much in the palm of his hand, the 35-year-old Scot raced out of the blocks to take the first two sets through the roof at Rod Laver Arena only to fall, almost inevitably, into a long, attritional scrap.
A five-time runner-up in the tournament but never a champion, little has come easy for Murray in Melbourne Park, and proved again as Berrettini came out of a long break outside the court between sets ready to level the match.
Murray’s determination never wavered, and after saving a match point, he held his nerve in a decisive 10-point tiebreak, closing out the contest with incredible luck with a bunted forehand return that held the net and left Berrettini with no chance.
“I’ll feel it this afternoon and tomorrow, but right now I’m really happy, just proud of myself,” Murray said on court after the four-hour, 49-minute slog.
“I’ve worked hard over the last few months with my team here to give myself the opportunity to perform in a stadium like this … and it paid off tonight.”
Murray will play Australian champion Thanasi Kokkinakis and Italian veteran Fabio Fognini for a place in the third round.
The 35-year-old could have saved his legs a few hours of work if he had converted a break point when he was 2-1 up in the third set, but a golden opportunity begged when he made a soft forehand.
After nearly five epic hours @andy_murray it’s done!@wus • @espn • @eurosport • @wowowtennis • #AusOpen • #AO2023 pic.twitter.com/00FgZbPb5g
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 17, 2023
Berrettini made the most of the reprieve and became like a machine to set the match in terms of level, even as hard-running Murray channeled the halcyon days of 2016 and produced a highlight reel of the angled winner.
For a moment it looked like Berrettini was ready to prove himself Murray’s Grand Slam opponent again, after knocking him out of the third round of the US Open four months ago.
Italy, last year’s semi-finalists, held on for 5-4 in the fifth set to take match point.
More than expected from the design, Murray lobbed over an ill-judged drop-shot that Berrettini swooped in, only to hit the pass which went straight into the net and left the fans gasping.
The match then slipped through the Italian’s fingers as Murray raced to a 6-1 lead in the tiebreak before enjoying a valuable kiss from the net to advance.
Having won seven of the previous eight five-set matches, it was a cruel way for Berrettini to go out, especially after clawing back to 8-6 in the tiebreak.
But the 26-year-old can only doff the cover for the experienced Scotsman, who gave the metal hip a proper workout.
“It might be, you know, different just with a different ball,” he said.
“It’s amazing what can be done after so many surgeries,
after all the kilometers he ran in his career.
“It just shows how much he loves the game, how much he loves this match.”
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