January 11, (THEWILL) – Andy Murray feels like he is rediscovering his range after advancing to the second round of the Sydney Tennis Classic as part of his preparations for the Australian Open.
Murray won his first match on Australian soil in three years, defeating Norwegian qualifier Viktor Durasovic 6-3, 6-1.
The five-time Australian Open finalist lost in the first round in Melbourne last week, but was given a wildcard admission to the Sydney competition, where he beat Durasovic in 72 minutes.
”It is really nice to get your range here and hopefully I can carry that through to Melbourne,” Murray said in his post-match interview.
“I was hoping to get matches in Melbourne last week, but that didn’t happen. Thankfully the tournament organisers and Tennis Australia agreed to give me the wildcard and the opportunity to play here and I am very grateful for that.”
Murray has also been given a wildcard to compete in the Australian Open for the first time since 2019. After a lengthy hiatus following hip surgery, the two-time Wimbledon champion has failed to return to his peak form.
Against Durasovic, though, he only dropped one point on his first serve and never faced a breakpoint. He finished the tournament with 20 victories and only seven unforced errors. Murray has a history of success in Australia, having won two titles in Brisbane, but this will be his first visit to Sydney.
“It is my first time in Sydney and it is a beautiful city,” Murray said. “I have been on the Tour for a very long time and it is nice to come to new places and I have heard a lot about it and it hasn’t disappointed me.”
Murray had not won in Australia since January of this year. In the second round, the former world No. 1 will face Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili, who is seeded second.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
