The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Murray’s practice struggles
Tennis: Former world No 1 had hoped to be in better shape for new season
Andy Murray won only two games in a dispiriting practice match against Novak Djokovic that marked a setback to his Australian Open preparations.
The former world No 1 is playing at Melbourne Park for the first time since 2017 and a year on from hip surgery but looked laboured, trailing 6-1 4-1 and having held serve only once against his long-time rival.
The pair have met four times in finals at Melbourne Park, with Djokovic, pictured, winning them all, but those memories made this all the harder to watch.
Having played only six tournaments in 2018 and spent large chunks of time focusing on rehabilitation and reconditioning, Murray had hoped to be in better shape for the new season.
He admitted on arrival in Australia that he was still in pain but tried to be optimistic despite losing in the second round of the Brisbane International to Russia’s Daniil Medvedev.
But there was little to be positive about. Murray lost his first service game to love and failed to hold serve in the opening set, breaking Djokovic once at 3-0.
The Serbian was not even playing at full intensity but Murray’s movement around the baseline was simply not good enough to enable him to go toe-to-toe in rallies like he used to.
The limp that has dogged him for 18 months became more pronounced during the second set, with the Scot grimacing at times.
He finally held serve for the first time at 0-3 but, after losing the next game, shook hands with Djokovic.
The performance raised questions about whether Murray will even begin the tournament, with his firstround opponent Roberto Bautista Agut known as one of the most dogged baseline battlers on tour.
Meanwhile Invernessborn Isabelle Wallace, who represents Australia, had her hopes of qualifying for the tournament ended with a 6-3 6-2 defeat by Dutch player Richel Hogenkamp. Dan Evans and Harriet Dart will fly the flag for Great Britain in the final round of qualifying at the Australian Open. Evans, back at Melbourne Park for the first time in two years following his drugs ban, had to battle past Austrian Jurij Rodionov 6-4 3-6 7-5. The 28-year-old is looking to compete in the main draw of a slam for the first time since a first-round loss at the French Open in 2017, shortly before his positive test for cocaine was revealed.
Lean and focused, Evans played a strong first set, including winning a point with a spectacular shot played behind his back. But a poor start to the second cost him and the decider was a mixed affair, with Evans failing to serve out the match at 5-4 and then withstanding pressure from Rodionov to hold for 6-5. The Austrian saved three match points in the next but not a fourth and Evans moved through to a clash with Italy’s Paolo Lorenzi today.
Dart’s only previous appearance in the main draw of a slam came at Wimbledon last summer, where she took a set off Karolina Pliskova.
The 22-year-old Londoner made a great start to the season by winning four matches at the Brisbane International last week and continued that form with a 7-6 (7-4) 6-1 victory over China’s Xu Shilin. Dart, who is at a career-high ranking of 132, will face 10th seed Ivana Jorovic of Serbia today.
James Ward is working his way back up the rankings after knee problems but was unable to make it three British players in the final round, losing 6-4 3-6 6-3 to Argentina’s Marco Trungelliti.