DISMISSING DJOKOVIC IS JUST DAFT
Murray predicts young guns won’t take down Serb at Aussie Open
ANDY MURRAY knows all about having his heart broken by Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open, and he expects the Serb to break a few more before he is done.
The 36-year-old Scot has lost four Melbourne finals to his oldest rival and, although there are questions over the defending champion’s fitness, Murray reckons Djokovic will still see off his more youthful challengers in the next few weeks.
The victory of Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon, and Italian Jannik Sinner beating Djokovic three times in November (once in doubles) have excited thoughts that the Serb’s dominance may be under threat as he goes for an 11th Australian title.
But Murray — who lost an exhibition match to Marin Cilic yesterday 6-3, 7-5 — urges caution to those believing this could be the year the established order is overturned by a young group which includes another with two wins over Djokovic, Holger Rune.
‘A lot of people were saying that after Wimbledon and it didn’t really happen,’ said Murray. ‘Novak won three Slams and lost a five-set epic final at Wimbledon. I still believe he’s the favourite going in. He still looks great but I would imagine it probably doesn’t get easier.
‘The Davis Cup matches or the ATP Finals are important events, of course, and I’m sure for Sinner or some of the younger guys that helps with their belief when they go on court against him.
‘But I know that when the Australian Open rolls around it’s not going to be easy for those guys to win against Novak in a huge match, because some of them are trying to do it for the first time, and win a major for the first time.
‘Alcaraz had won a major going into Wimbledon and that was against Casper (Ruud) who had also never won one. It’s not easy when you’re trying to win your first and you’re playing against the guy who’s won 24 times. It’s a very different mentality.’
Murray was waiting to hear what draw he would get last night, knowing he would be at the mercy of fate as he is outside the 32 seeds. He is aware he would have been inside that magic number had he been able to close out some of the close matches that got away from him all too often last season.
‘You could argue for me that was the case last year, but I was playing rubbish and when you’re not playing well, it’s not as easy to win matches,’ he reasoned.
‘When you’re playing well if you’re confident in your game, it becomes easier. If your ranking drops and you’re not winning as many matches and you get in those situations, you don’t cope with them as well.
‘But let’s see. If I put myself in those situations, it’s always been one of the better parts of my game. I never had an issue with that in my career. Last year, I felt like I was not serving well when it came to serving for matches. I was not getting many free points, ending up in long rallies, just not feeling comfortable on the court.
‘Hopefully with some improved serving and feeling a bit better about my game, when I put myself in those situations, it goes well. I’ve made improvements in the off season.’
It is not easy to read much into exhibition matches, and in breezy conditions he and Cilic played well at the Kooyong Classic, at the former home of the Open out in the Melbourne suburbs.
Murray, who spent much of last month training in Dubai, reached the third round a year ago after dramatic five-set wins over Matteo Berrettini and Thanasi Kokkinakis. He does not reckon he is owed anything by the Australian Open, despite his agonising near misses.
‘I don’t really believe in that,’ he said. ‘I’ve had great moments here. Obviously I’m disappointed to lose five Australian Open finals, but my record here has been incredible over the years.
‘I’ve played some of my best tennis here and unfortunately the finals I played against Novak, they certainly weren’t easy matches to win. I would probably have liked to play someone different in those.’
Jack Draper exacted a measure of revenge for his defeat in November’s Davis Cup quarterfinals when he beat Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic yesterday to make the last eight of the Adelaide International. Draper, one of the dangerous floaters in the Australian Open draw, saved two match points in the second set tiebreak before prevailing 5-7, 7-6, 7-6 in a match that lasted three hours and 39 minutes. He faces top seed Tommy Paul next.
Dan Evans was beaten in Adelaide as Alexander Bublik came from behind to win 4-6, 6-2, 6-1. After starting well to claim the first set, the British No 2 was broken to go 4-2 down in the second and then secured only one more game as Kazakhstan’s Bublik surged to victory.
Evans, 33, will be unseeded in Melbourne, for the first time at a Grand Slam since 2019.
Cameron Norrie continued his Australian Open preparations with victory over Frenchman Luca Van Assche in the second round of the ASB Classic in Auckland. The British No1 saw off his 19-year-old opponent 6-3, 6-7, 6-1 to set up a quarter-final against Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo.
Norrie had match point in the second-set tiebreak before Van Assche levelled the match. The Brit was broken in the opening game of set three before rattling off six games in a row.
Five Brits have made the second round of Australian Open qualifying: Ryan Peniston, Billy Harris, Oliver Crawford, Harriet Dart and Francesca Jones. They were all due to play overnight.