Former world No. 1 Andy Murray endured another tight match on Thursday as he pulled out to defeat Thomas Etcheverry to advance to the second round of the WTA and ATP Masters 1000 tournaments in Indian Wells.
The Brit, who has a habit of making big runs this year, took three hours and 12 minutes to beat the Argentine 6-7 (5/7), 6-1, 6-4.
“In some of the matches I played this year, I didn’t deserve to win,” said Murray, who won a five-set, over five-hour match at the Australian Open and scored eight match points in four matches in Doha last month. before losing to Daniil Medvedev in the final.
“Today I felt like I had created so many opportunities and this was one that could have easily eluded me,” added Murray, who had eight chances to break in the second set.
Murray, who returned to the top 40 after undergoing a hip replacement in 2019, had to hit two break points himself in the eighth game of the third set.
He needed five chances to make a decisive break in the next game and he finally converted when Etcheverry, who had reached a high level since reaching the final in Santiago last week, double-faulted.
They reached the point of the match at three hours and nine minutes, Murray missing his first chance when his throw shot attempt was unsuccessful. Three minutes later he finished him off with an ace.
This year, Murray improved the score in the decisive sets to 7-0 and booked a meeting with Spaniard Pablo Carreno-Busta, seeded 15th.
After injuries threatened his career, Murray, the winner of three Grand Slam titles and two Olympic gold medals, said he wanted to enjoy the last act of his career.
“I really want to make the most of these final years that I have,” he said. “It’s interesting to see how far I can go with this and push my body.
“There are certain things that I would like to achieve before I stop playing and goals that I set for myself, but the main thing is to put in my best effort every single day.
“If I do that, I’ll end my career on a high note.”
Murray was one of a string of former first-round Grand Slam winners as the 32 men’s and women’s seedings led by Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek enjoyed a farewell.
British 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu rallied after failing in every set to beat Danka Kovinic 6-2, 6-3, avenging her Montenegrin 2022 Australian Open second-round loss as she continued to struggle with various ailments that have slowed down. her 2023 campaign.
“I’m glad I’m stuck,” said Radukan, who ended the 2022 season early with a wrist problem and injured her ankle in Game 2 of 2023 in Oakland.
She withdrew from the WTA tournament in Austin last week due to tonsillitis and withdrew from the pre-tournament exhibition here when her wrist problem worsened.
But she said listing the problems only made her more determined.
“I think what you’re going through gives you more impetus in a way,” Radukanu said. “Like, ‘OK, I have to be aggressive or dominate’ is something to really cling to and use.”
– Kokkinakis will fight Alcaraz –
France’s Adrian Mannarino scored a 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/5) win over Austrian Dominic Thiem, 2020 US Open winner, who was out eight months after suffering a right wrist injury in 2021 .
Thiem played an early break in the third set to achieve a tiebreak which he took to a 5-3 lead, but Mannarino scored four points to take the win in two hours and 43 minutes.
In a duel between two more former Grand Slam champions, 2020 Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin beat 2017 US Open winner Sloane Stephens 6-4, 6-1.
Three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka, who has undergone two knee and two foot surgeries and is now ranked 100th in the world, defeated Australian Aleksandar Vukcic 6-4, 1-6, 6-1.
In other matches on Thursday, World No. 94 Australian qualifier Thanasi Kokkinakis booked a second-round clash with No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in a 6-4, 6-1 win over US wildcard Brandon Holt.
American Ben Shelton defeated Italian veteran Fabio Fognini 6-4, 6-1 to set up a meeting with defending champion Taylor Fritz in fourth place, while American Claire Liu beat Anna Karolina Shmidlova 7-6 (7/5), 6 in women. – 3 to earn a shot at first place and defending champion Igu Swiatek.
bb/rcw
Source: sports.yahoo.com
