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Andy Murray’s Australian Open preparations got off to a disappointing start with a consecutive loss to Sebastian Korda on Tuesday.
An unlucky first set tiebreak for Murray at Adelaide International 1 was decisive against the 22-year-old American best opponent. It is even more worrying how this first game of the season could affect his performance in Melbourne later this month. .
Murray was not scheduled to play again until the Australian Open kicked off on January 16, and hadn’t played competitively since October’s Paris Masters, aside from a handful of exhibition matches on Tuesday and last month.
While a 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 loss to Korda wasn’t a disastrous performance, two hours of shying away on the court wouldn’t be the ideal preparation he envisioned for Melbourne, where five sets of grueling tennis are scorching. Australian summer awaits you.
Pre-tournament results aren’t always the key to running a major, 35-year-old Murray knows that well enough. He reached the final of the Sydney Tennis Classic at Down Under last year, but was knocked out of the Australian Open in the second round to Taro Daniel a week later. The only time he made it to the finals last season was in Stuttgart, where he suffered an abdominal injury that hindered his Wimbledon campaign.
Finding the sweet spot between too many games and too few games before grand slam tournaments is often a challenge for Murray’s injury-ravaged body. But beyond his physical condition, there are other reasons to avoid first-round losses, namely achieving his long-held goal of becoming a big seed.
Despite its rise in the rankings over the past 18 months, it still ranks 49th in the world as it finished 2022 below average. Winning in the first rounds of tournaments like Adelaide is crucial for ranking points and dominance. closer to breaking into the top 32. His lagging behind has held him back in recent years.
Murray hasn’t been able to get beyond the third round in an overseas major since the 2017 French Open before his hip injury, and – without a qualifying in Melbourne – the draw could be brutal again.
Even at Adelaide, Korda was a tough first-round draw. He placed 33rd and beat Murray in three sets in the quarterfinals of Gijon last October. He has great serving, athletic play, but had to show some tough guts against old world #1 Murray on Tuesday.
Brave play saw Murray struggling after an opening breakdown, but momentum shifted Korda’s path after he earned the first point of tiebreaks. Called by a line judge, Murray’s crosscourt winner could have given him a 2-0 lead and a small timeout on his way to take the first set, which was really bad luck. Instead, the point was replayed, and Korda hit two aces in a row before clinching the longest base rally of the game to take a 3-1 lead, before trailing off. Murray was unable to challenge him again, and Korda dispersed the set before calmly taking it after the match.
He had classic Murray scores everywhere, from the defensive lobs to his brilliant responses on the net, and he looked high for stamina. That had been a concern at the end of last season, and Murray’s three-week practice job with Ivan Lendl in Florida in late 2022 seems to have paid off.
But the English No. 4 player didn’t serve well enough, hitting only 52 percent of his first serves, converting just one of his five breaking points and being very passive at times. There’s room for improvement, but – unless he wants a wild card for a tournament next week – he won’t be able to implement these tweaks on the field.
Earlier on Tuesday, Novak Djokovic won his first singles match on Australian soil since his dramatic deportation last year. Defeated France’s Constant Lestienne in straight sets to advance to the last 16 in Adelaide where he will face another Frenchman at Quentin Halys.
When is the Australian Open?
The tournament will start on Monday, January 16th at Melbourne Park and will end on Sunday, January 29th.
When is the Australian Open draw?
The drawing will take place on Thursday, January 12.
Australian Open men’s singles main draw entry list
Australian Open women’s singles main draw entry list
How to watch the Australian Open 2023 on TV
In the UK, Eurosport owns the live-action broadcast rights from Melbourne. In the US, the tournament is broadcast on ESPN.
What is the latest news?
All eyes will be on Novak Djokovic as he returns to the tournament. The 21-time winner was deported by the government last year after entering the country on a visa that he thought qualifies him for the Covid vaccine exemption.
He was banned from returning for three years, but Australia has since removed the requirement for visitors to prove their vaccination status, and a new government confirmed last month that Djokovic can legally re-enter the country.
“Now I’m trying to be successful here in Adelaide in this tournament,” Djokovic told reporters after beating Constant Lestienne in his first singles match after returning to Australia at the Adelaide International.
“Obviously Melbourne, the grand slam, it’s different… there are a lot of players on both the male and female side.
“And I’ll be there a week before my first game, as I normally do, practice, getting used to the different conditions and pace of the pitch…let’s see. I hope I’ll be well received.” “
What is the Australian Open prize money?
The total prize pool for the Australian Open reached $76.5 million, up 3.4 percent from 2022. The singles champions will each take home $2,975m, just over £2.47m.
Who are the defending champions?
Ashleigh Barty defeated Danielle Collins to win the 2022 women’s title, ending a 44-year drought for her homeland.
Rafael Nadal battled two sets from behind to beat Daniil Medvedev to win his 21st grand slam title.
What are the latest rates?
Single men:
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Novak Djokovic 11/0
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Carlos Alcaraz 11/2
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Daniel Medvedev 7/1
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Nick Kirgios 10/1
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Rafael Nadal 12/1
Single ladies:
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Iga Swiatek 13/8
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On Jabeur 12/1
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Caroline Garcia12/1
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Arina Sabalenka 12/1
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Emma Raducanu 33/1
Rates adjusted as of January 2
