No tall order as Murray battles into Sydney final

Andy Murray reached his first ATP Tour final for more than two years with a three-set win over giant American Reilly Opelka at the Sydney Tennis Classic.

The Scot has said for several months that a deep run at a tournament was not far away and he has made good on that this week with his best string of results since he won his last title in Antwerp in 2019.

He was frustrated to lose the opening set against 6ft 11in Opelka having fought back from 1-5 in the tiebreak but he kept pressing on his opponent’s serve and got his reward for a 6-7 (6-8) 6-4 6-4 victory.

Murray has always performed well against big servers, his great returns and ability to keep the ball in play making it a strong match-up for him.

Murray will now bid for a 47th career title against Russia’s Aslan Karatsev, who saw off British number two Dan Evans 6-3 6-7 (1315) 6-3.

Murray said: “It’s obviously great to be in another final. A tough match again. It was always going to be tight against him. There is not many chances either way usually.

“After losing the first set, it felt like quite a long way back but I stayed tight on my serve.

“I served well the last couple of sets and I think overall played a pretty smart match. It was a good win.

“It’s already been a great week for me. I’ll go for 47 tomorrow.”

Murray will be returning to the scene of his tearful announcement that he feared his career was over three years ago.

The former world No 1, five times a runner-up in Melbourne, is looking to build on the momentum he gained towards the end of last season when he recorded two top-10 wins over Hubert Hurkacz and Jannik Sinner.

Murray’s last appearance at the Australian Open was that epic encounter with 22nd seed Roberto Bautista Agut, who he pushed to a fifth set after mounting a huge comeback from two down, all while playing with just one functioning hip.

It should be a far less painful experience for the 34-year-old Scot, who has stated he wants a deep run in at least one of the majors, this time around.

Evans had hoped to set

up a first ever all-British ATP Tour final and he saved three match points in an epic second-set tie-break.

He was then furious about a bathroom break taken by Karatsev but, despite recovering from 3-0 down, was broken again and suffered a first defeat of the season.

Meanwhile, the newest grand slam champion in the women’s game will spearhead Britain’s bid for success at the Australian Open.

Emma Raducanu is seeded 17th in Melbourne with the British number one set to play in her first major tournament since her incredible US Open success.

A whirlwind six months

saw the Bromley teenager come from out of nowhere to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon before stunning the tennis world at Flushing Meadows and scooping the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year award into the bargain.

It is scarcely believable that in WTA terms Raducanu is still a rookie, about to embark on her first full season on the Tour.

There are fears the 19-year-old could struggle under the weight of the pressure she has created for herself – although starting the year off with a chastening 6-0 6-1 defeat by Elena Rybakina at the Sydney International should temper some of those expectations.

It is sure to be a steep learning curve for Raducanu, who must deal with the fact she is now a major scalp for her opponents.

“I’m not sure of other people’s opinions of me,” she said.

“It’s going to happen, pressure is a privilege. I thrive under the adrenaline, I hope.

“So for me I don’t really think about other people’s opinions or expectations. The only ones I have are that of myself, to improve and get better.”

Johanna Konta’s retirement has left a hole in British women’s tennis but Raducanu is joined in the main draw by Heather Watson, whose best

performance came nine years ago when she reached the third round.

In the men’s draw Cameron Norrie will be out to cement his place in the upper echelons of the game after a stellar 2021.

The 26-year-old lefthander racked up some impressive wins throughout the year before claiming the prestigious Indian Wells title in October.

Norrie has risen to the cusp of the top 10, become British No 1 for the first time and even secured a place at the season-ending ATP Finals as an alternate.

Evans may have been overtaken by Norrie but he also enjoyed a career-best season, winning his first ATP title.

FIGHTBACK: Andy Murray came from a set down to beat American Reilly Opelka in their semi-final in Sydney.