Andy Murray on Wednesday launched his 16th appearance at the Indian Wells Masters with a 6-3, 6-2 defeat of qualifier David Goffin.
Britain’s 2009 finalist in the California desert took 80 minutes to produce a satisfying win to improve to 8-0 against the former top-10 Belgian.
Murray, a three-time Grand Slam champion who said in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, last month that he is unlikely to keep playing beyond this season, swept the final 10 points of the opening set and went up a double break for 5-2 before polishing off the win.
Photo: AP
“I was striking the ball well from the back of the court, it was a solid performance,” said the 36-year-old, ranked 61st. “This could be the best I’ve ever served here. I’ve struggled serving here for at least 10 years. Today felt much better.”
The Scot said that he has always had his troubles at the desert venue, trying various preparation strategies with limited success.
“I’ve tried everything here — I’ve arrived later, I’ve come a week early to get used to conditions and then lost in the first round, but conditions seem different this year,” he said. “The balls are quicker and the court seems a bit smaller at the back.”
Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, who benefits from a first-round bye, learned the name of his first opponent when Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi beat Frenchman Luca van Assche 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/3).
Australian Open winner Jannik Sinner is to start his tournament against Thanasi Kokkinakis after the Australian defeated Marcus Giron 6-3, 7-5.
In the women’s singles, tennis mother Angelique Kerber, a finalist five years ago, booked a second-round match with a fellow Grand Slam champion.
The 36-year-old German with three titles at the majors beat her first top-100 opponent since returning from maternity leave as she defeated Petra Martic 6-3, 6-4.
Kerber next takes on 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko.
Hong Kong-based cricket team Hung See this weekend found success in their matches in Taiwan, even if none of the results went their way. Hung See played the Chairman’s XI on Saturday morning, the Daredevils that afternoon and PCCT yesterday, with all three home teams winning. The team for Chinese players at the Happy Valley-based Craigengower Cricket Club sends teams on tour to “spread the game of cricket.” This weekend was Hung See’s second trip to Taiwan after visiting Tainan in 2016. “The club has been traveling to all parts of the world since 1982 and the annual tradition continues [with the Taiwan
‘TOUGH TO BREATHE’: Tunisian three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur suffered an asthma attack in her 7-5, 6-3 victory over Colombia’s Camila Osorio Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei yesterday cruised into the second round of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while Iga Swiatek romped into a third-round women’s singles showdown with Emma Raducanu and Taylor Fritz was just as emphatic in his pursuit of a maiden Grand Slam title. Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, the third seeds, defeated Slovakia’s Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls of Britain 7-5, 6-2 in 90 minutes in Melbourne. Ostapenko and Hsieh — who won the women’s doubles and mixed doubles at the Australian Open last year — hit 25 winners and converted five of nine break points to set
HARD TO SAY GOODBYE: After Coco Gauff dispatched Belinda Bencic in the fourth round, she wrote ‘RIP TikTok USA’ and drew a broken heart on a television camera lens Defending champion Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan yesterday advanced to the quarter-finals of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while compatriot Chan Hao-ching on Saturday dominated her opponents in the second round, as world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka swept into the quarter-finals. Third seeds Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia toppled Hungary’s Timea Babos and Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US 6-4, 6-3, hitting 24 winners and converting three of seven break points in 1 hour, 18 minutes at 1573 Arena. Although rivals at last year’s Australian Open — where Hsieh and Belgium’s Elise Mertens beat Ostapenko and Ukraine’s Lyudmyla Kichenok 6-1, 7-5
Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei yesterday advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while Coco Gauff’s dreams of a first women’s singles title in Melbourne were crushed in the quarter-finals by Paula Badosa. World No. 2 Alexander Zverev was ruffled by a stray feather in his men’s singles quarter-final, but he refocused to beat 12th seed Tommy Paul and reach the semi-finals. Third seeds Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia defeated Elena-Gabriela Ruse of Romania and Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 6-2, 5-7, 7-5 in 2 hours, 20 minutes to advance the semi-finals. Hsieh and Ostapenko converted eight of 14 break
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