MIAMI OPEN. by Emiliano Naftali
Andy Murray clinched another hard-fought victory against Matteo Berrettini in a grueling match at the Miami Open on Wednesday. Despite signs of weariness, Berrettini put up a valiant effort, leaning on his racket for support as Murray sealed the win with a score of 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
In a dramatic turn during the second set with Murray leading 5-2, Berrettini appeared dizzy and had to pause the game to regain composure, leaning on the court for stability. Medical assistance intervened, checking his blood pressure before play resumed.
Although Berrettini left the court after conceding the set, he displayed resilience by returning to finish the match, which lasted a taxing 2 hours and 49 minutes.
This match marked a rematch of their intense encounter during the 2023 Australian Open, where Murray triumphed in a marathon battle lasting over 4 1/2 hours.
Struggling with injuries, Berrettini had been absent from the tour since retiring during the second round of the previous year’s U.S. Open. However, the 2021 Wimbledon runner-up made a comeback last week, reaching the final of a Challenger tour tournament in Phoenix.
At 36 years old, Murray, a two-time champion in Miami, solidified his status alongside Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal as one of the few active players boasting 30 wins at the event. The three-time Grand Slam champion now sets his sights on the second round, where he will face the 29th seed, Tomas Etcheverry.
Other victors in the men’s category included Denis Shapovalov, who defeated Luciano Darderi 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-4, and Martin Damm Jr., who prevailed over China’s Zhang Zhizhen in a tightly contested match with scores of 7-6 (2), 7-6 (3).
“It was obviously a great win for me,” Murray said. “Started off a little bit slow but then I did think I played pretty well across then end of the first set through to the end of the match. Created a lot of opportunities and he was struggling for a little bit end of the second and beginning of the third, and I capitalized on that and got off to a quick start in the third and served it out well at the end.”