In Miami, Andy Murray defeated an ailing Matteo Berrettini 4-6 6-3 6-4 to advance to the second round of the Miami Open. This win comes as Murray continues to strive for back-to-back victories, a feat he has yet to achieve this season after losing his opening match in his first four tournaments, including the Australian Open.
Despite this, the three-time Grand Slam winner has progressed to the second round in his last four events but has been unable to progress further each time.
Murray achieved a small milestone in his career as he became the third active player with 30 wins at the Miami Open, after Novak Djokovic (44) and Rafael Nadal (40).
“It was obviously a great win for me,” said Murray, who left a message on the courtside TV camera lens after the match: ‘Life in the old dog yet :)’
While Murray initially started slowly against Berrettini, the Italian, who was playing his first tour-level match since the U.S. Open after an injury layoff, dominated the opening set.
However, the momentum shifted in the second set as Murray found his stride, taking a 5-2 lead while Berrettini struggled. During Berrettini’s next service game, he appeared close to fainting, leading to a delay in play as he received medical attention and had his blood pressure checked.
After the interruption, Murray leveled the match by winning the second set, while Berrettini received further checks during the changeover.
In the final set, Murray capitalized on Berrettini’s struggles, breaking him early on and maintaining his lead. Despite Berrettini’s efforts to hold serve, he was unable to convert any of his break chances.
As the match came to a close, Murray secured victory with a backhand winner, followed by a defiant fist pump.
“I created a lot of opportunities, and he was struggling towards the end of the second set and the beginning of the third,” said Murray, who will now face Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the next round.
Murray reflected on his performance, stating, “I capitalised on that and got off to a quick start in the third. I served it out well in the end.”
This report was by Steve Keating from Miami, with editing by Peter Rutherford.
