Andy Murray produces vintage display to stun Matteo Berrettini in five-set epic at Australian Open

Andy Murray produced one of his finest performances in recent years to progress to the second round of the Australian Open, beating Matteo Berrettini 6-3 6-3 4-6 6-7(7) 7-6(6).

Murray’s win over the 2021 Wimbledon finalist is his first over a top 20 player in a Grand Slam since 2017.

Berrettini had a difficult time with injuries and Covid-19 throughout 2022 and has endured a lacklustre start to 2023. Nevertheless, Murray had to rise to the occasion in front of a boisterous crowd inside Rod Laver Arena.

The Scotsman will play either Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis or Italy’s Fabio Fognini in the second round.

A very nervy start from Berrettini saw Murray capitalise. The Italian appeared to be lacking confidence in his forehand and played a tame drop shot at break point down in his opening service game which Murray met with a fine passing shot to take a 2-0 lead.

Murray fought back from a further two break points down to move into a 5-2 lead thanks to another fine passing shot. Murray then finished off the first set on his next service game with a love hold, taking set point with an ace.

The former British No. 1 continued to showcase his very best tennis at the start of the second set, converting his first of two break points in the opening game with a stunning backhand passing shot with Berrettini at the net.

Berrettini looked low on confidence as Murray continued to wind the clock back with some excellent shot selections. On the Berrettini serve, Murray got his first set point which he converted when a drop shot forced the Italian to strike into the net.

Berrettini was visibly frustrated at two sets down with his forehand misfiring while Murray continued to pull the world No. 13 around the court.

Unforced errors off Berrettini’s forehand continued to plague his game, but one from Murray on his serve saw the Italian get his first break in the match and he took a 3-2 lead.

From then on Berrettini’s forehand greatly improved and Murray could not find a way back into the set, handing the No. 13 seed a lifeline.

The fourth set was tense and cagey with neither player able to register even a break point – a tie-break would decide it and it was Berrettini who came out victorious.

It was much the same in the fifth, with the set going with serve until an unforced error leading 30-0 in the 10th game of the set looked to have reset the initiative and moments later, Berrettini fashioned the first break point of the set – and hence match point of the match – but he could not convert, missing a rudimentary backhand and Murray regrouped and rallied to keep it on serve at 5-5.

And two holds of serve sent the match to a match tie-breaker – four hours and 35 minutes into the match. Murray – who was on the back foot as the set edged towards a tie-break – broke the Berrettini serve to race into a 5-0 lead in the tie-break.

Berrettini would threaten a fightback but Murray would fashion three match points at 9-6, and would take the first of them to secure progression to round two after four hours and 49 minutes.

Evan through in four sets

Dan Evans is into the second round of the Australian Open after a 6-4 4-6 6-4 6-4 win over Argentina’s Facundo Bagnis.

Evans wrapped up the first set in 56 minutes in stifling hot conditions on Court 7, but he was broken at 4-5 to drop the second and appeared to be struggling with the sun in his eyes.

But Evans regained his advantage in the third set, converting a break point to take a 4-3 lead before going on seal it in 48 minutes.

The match was then paused, alongside all others on outside courts, due to the extreme heat, meaning both players had to wait for just under two hours before play resumed.

When the contest did restart Evans sealed the fourth set, breaking in the seventh game, to win the match in two hours and 49 minutes

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