Andy Murray yesterday rolled back the years to defeat 13th seed Matteo Berrettini in a five-set epic at the Australian Open, on a day when sweltering heat and then heavy rain played havoc.
Novak Djokovic also made his eagerly anticipated return to the Grand Slam.
Serbian flags waved and Rod Laver Arena rose to give him a rapturous welcome, a year after he was kicked out of the country.
Photo: EPA-EFE
The nine-time Australian Open champion was deported on the eve of last year’s Grand Slam event because of his stance on COVID-19 vaccines, but spectators, among them members of Melbourne’s Serbian community, gave him a rousing reception as he entered the court he has made his own down the years to face 75th-ranked Roberto Carballes Baena.
Djokovic sailed through, beating the Spaniard 6-3, 6-4, 6-0.
However, the day belonged to 35-year-old Murray — and Melbourne’s famously fickle weather.
Photo: AFP
The Briton saved match point to defeat Italy’s Berrettini 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-7 (7/9), 7-6 (10/6) in 4 hours, 49 minutes on Rod Laver Arena, where the roof was closed because of the extreme heat.
“I will be feeling this this evening and tomorrow, but right now unbelievably happy and proud of myself,” said the former world No. 1, who plays with a metal hip after a career-saving surgery.
Also in the men’s draw, Russia’s fifth seed Andrey Rublev ended the tournament of 2020 finalist Dominic Thiem 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in 36°C temperatures.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Former US Open champion Thiem was outplayed as he continued his return from a wrist injury that kept him off the court for nine months.
As the mercury rose, the heat forced play to be halted on outside courts. The roofs were closed on the three main stadiums: Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena. Play resumed on the outside courts about three hours later, only to be disrupted again in the evening when a storm hit, dumping torrential rain that forced players back into the locker room. About 90 more minutes of play were lost.
Taiwan’s Tseng Chun-hsin was battling out a lengthy five-set match against Australia’s Alexei Popyrin as of press time.
His compatriot, Hsu Yu-hsiou, lost 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 to Australia’s Alex de Minaur.
Eighth-seeded Taylor Fritz of the US defeated Nikoloz Basilashvili from Georgia, while 12th seed Alexander Zverev needed a fifth set before finally seeing off Juan Pablo Varillas.
The women’s draw threw up no real surprises.
Tunisia’s second seed Ons Jabeur, runner-up at Wimbledon and the US Open last year, was far from her fluent best, but eventually defeated Slovenia’s Tamara Zidansek.
The shaky Jabeur won the first set on a tiebreak, lost the second 6-4, then finally found her rhythm to clinch the decider 6-1.
“I just tried to follow what my coach told me to do,” she said of her turnaround in the third set.
“I wasn’t really doing that and he’s going to kill me after the match,” she said, jokingly.
Caroline Garcia and Aryna Sabalenka — fourth and fifth seeds respectively — had it easier as they swept into the second round.
Elise Mertens was another winner. The Belgian outlasted Spain’s former Melbourne finalist Garbine Muguruza, who was cramping before losing 3-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-1.
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