Australian Open: Andy Murray closes wonderful Melbourne chapter after..
Competing at the Australian Open for the very last time before he retires at Wimbledon, a five-time beaten Melbourne finalist Andy Murray has lost to Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 6-2 in four hours and nine minutes despite a stunning effort, finishing his Melbourne Park journey with a 48-13 score. Before the tournament, Andy revealed he is going to retire by the time of Wimbledon if his body endures the pressure until then, dealing with a hip injury for 20 months and not being able to find the right solution that would make the pain go away and allow him to stay on the Tour for a few more years.
The packed Melbourne Arena was too small to welcome all the people who wanted to see Andy in what turned out to be his 61st and the last Australian Open match, also one of the most exciting he ever played at Melbourne Park. The Brit won all three previous encounters against the Spaniard in straight sets except a lot had changed since the last win in Shanghai 2016 when he battled with Novak Djokovic for the year-end no. 1 spot. Andy played only the 15th ATP match after Wimbledon 2017 and fought like a lion in front of the crowd that supported him more than ever before, pushing his body to the limits to send the match into a decider.
Roberto was the favorite and he delivered two breaks in the opening two sets for a significant lead, saving a set point at 4-5 in set number three before losing the set in the tie break and allow Murray to stay in the match. It was important for Murray to hang in early on and he did that with ease, serving well and even creating a break point at 4-3 with a high-quality forehand attack. Roberto responded with some good hitting of his own to repel it and gain the momentum that drove him towards the break in the following game after a routine forehand error from Murray. Serving for the set at 5-4, Bautista Agut held at love to grab the opener after 50 minutes and set the tone for the rest of the match.
The Spaniard defended two break points at the start of the second set and he moved 3-2 up thanks to a volley winner in game five that allowed him to control the scoreboard in the rest of the set. Murray stayed within one break deficit but that was all he could do, with Roberto hitting an ace in game ten to clinch the set and make another big step towards the overall win. The better-ranked player forged a lead in the third set as well after a weak backhand from Andy that finished in the net but the match was far from over when Murray broke back in the very next game, placing a beautiful backhand down the line winner to level the score at 2-2.
The Brit saved a break point in the ninth game with another stellar backhand down the line shot, earning a set point in the following game and receiving a tremendous amount of support from the stands. Bautista Agut fends it off to reach the tie break that Andy won 7-5 after a drive-volley winner that kept him in the match after two hours and 35 minutes, playing with more aggression in this part of the match and maintaining his chances alive. A former world no. 1 was entirely in the encounter now and they both served well throughout the set to set up a tie break that Murray won 7-4 after three and a half hours to prolong the dramatic clash and stay on a course for one of the most epic comebacks in a career. Nonetheless, he had nothing more left in the tank, getting broken twice in set number five and finishing a historic contest on the losing side but with the heart of every person in the stands.
First round result:
[22]Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) vs [PR]Andy Murray (GBR) 6-4 6-4 6-7(5) 6-7(4) 6-2
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2HkkUJk
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