Indian Wells:
It was once number one in the world Andy Murray won another tough match on Thursday, coming from a set down to defeat Tomas Etcheverry and reach the second round of the Indian Wells WTA and ATP Masters 1000.
The Englishman, who has been on the run this year, needed three hours and 12 minutes to defeat the Argentine 6-7 (5/7), 6-1, 6-4.
“Some of the matches I’ve played this year I shouldn’t have won,” said Murray, who won five sets in more than five hours at the Australian Open and in Doha in last month won eight points in four games. before falling c Daniel Medvedev in the end.
“Today, I felt like I created a lot of opportunities and this one was easy to get away from me,” added Murray, who had eight breaks in the set. second.
Murray, returning to the top 40 after hip surgery in 2019, had to serve two points in the eighth game of the set. third.
He needed five chances to get the break in the next game, finally turning around when Etcheverry jumped high after reaching the final in Santiago last week, double-faulting.
They reached level after three hours and nine minutes, Murray missing his first chance when his drop effort curled wide. Three minutes later, he pointed away with an ace.
Murray improved to 7-0 in finals this year and set up a meeting with 15th-ranked Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta.
After his career-threatening injuries, Murray, owner of three Grand Slams and two Olympic gold medals, said he wanted to enjoy the final act of his career.
“I really want to make good use of these past years that I have,” he said. “It’s exciting to see how far I can push this and push my body.
“There are things I want to achieve before the end of my games and the goals I set myself, but the number one thing is to give my best every day.
“If I do that it will finish my career on a high.”
Murray was one of the first winners of the Grand Slam in the first round while the 32 seeds of men and women – led by Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek – were happy to leave.
The British champion of the US Open 2021, Emma Raducanu, won in each set to defeat Danka Kovinic 6-2, 6-3, and take revenge in the 2022 Australian Open in the second round in the Montenegrin cloud to continue his fight against various chronic diseases. his 2023 campaign.
“I’m glad I stayed in,” said Raducanu, who had his 2022 season cut short with a sprained wrist and injured ankle in his second game of 2023 in Auckland.
She pulled out of the WTA in Austin last week with tonsillitis and pulled out of a pre-tournament show here after her wrist problem flared up.
But he said that many problems made him more interested.
“I think having something that you’re going through gives you in some ways more motivation,” said Raducanu. “It’s like, ‘Okay, I have to be strong or bossy’ — there’s something to stick to and use.”
Frenchman Adrian Mannarino cruised to a 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/5) win over Austrian Dominic Thiem, the 2020 US Open champion who has been sidelined for eight months after suffering a wrist injury. right in 2021.
Thiem got another quick break in the third set to force the tie, where he led 5-3 before Mannarino stormed back in four to secure victory in two hours and 43. minute.
In a match between two other former Grand Slam champions, 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin defeated 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens 6-4, 6-1.
Three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka, who has two knees and two legs behind him and is now ranked 100 in the world, defeated Australian Aleksandar Vukcic 6-4, 1- 6, 6-1.
In other matches on Thursday, Australian qualifier Thanasi Kokkinakis, ranked 94th in the world, reached the second round against top seed Carlos Alcaraz with a 6-4, 6-1 win in the US wild card Brandon Holt.
American Ben Shelton defeated Italian veteran Fabio Fognini 6-4, 6-1 to set up a meeting with fourth-seeded Taylor Fritz while on the women’s side American Claire Liu beat Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 7 -6 (7/5), 6. -3 to get a shot at the top with defending champion Iga Swiatek.
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