Andy Murray defeats Alexander Zverev 6-1,6-2, 6-3 in MelbourneNear faultless display puts Brit through to moment round of Australia Open 4.12am GMTThat match in numbersNo real surprises here. Murray had 28 winners to Zverev’s 23, and 20 unforced errors to his opponent’s spiralling 43 and won six demolish points to none,stepping up where it counted and never truly giving the German teenager an opening. That’s approximately it from us here but thanks for joining me for the live action from Margaret Court Arena. 4.09am GMTMurray pays tribute to his plucky opponent“It’s obviously tough conditions nowadays,” says the Scot as he starts his post-match interview. “It seemed like all the games were going to deuce” he adds, and paying tribute to Zverev. “He hung right in until the close...
He’s one of the best young players in the world and he’s going to be around for a very long time. He made it very tough for me.”
4.06am GMTThird set: Murray 6-3 Zverev (*denotes next server) Murray wins 6-1,6-2, 6-3In the blink of an eye Murray threatens to shut this match out, and climbing into Zverev’s tiring serve to set up a couple of demolish and match points. But the German fights back again,stringing together a couple of tall serves and then a resounding ace down the middle to claim the advantage. But he can’t hold out much longer and rather fittingly, nets to hand the Scot the game, or set and match. Murray’s through to the moment round in straight sets! 3.59am GMTThird set: Murray 5-3 Zverev* (*denotes next server) Murray leads 2-0It’s far hotter out there now than it was at the start of the match,with the mercury currently pushing 30 degrees and the temperature on court no doubt a lot hotter still. Zverev has a gilt-edged chance to make it 30-0 clawing into Murray’s serve but nets when the court was open for a winner. Zverev’s up to 40 unforced errors now to Murray’s 20. It’s really mattered out there. With a brisk venture to the net to save away the volley, Murray holds. 3.54am GMTThird set: *Murray 4-3 Zverev (*denotes next server) Murray leads 2-0Zverev threatens to unravel a little at the start of this service game but does push a kind sliced serve across court to claw his way back to 15-30 and then darts in to the net to retrieve a drop shot and level it all up. He’s certainly not rolling over. Again the Zverev service game drags on forever, and so long in fact that Murray stops to change his racquet. The one it replaced must be worn out. Finally Zverev holds and it was another determined effort to do so. Deja vu: Still no press time for Venus. Guess she flew the coop and will take the fine,like after her R1 loss in Paris last year. #AusOpen 3.44am GMTThird set: Murray 4-2 Zverev* (*denotes next server) Murray leads 2-0Perhaps a little agitated by the way his opponent is stringing this out, Murray gets both ruthless and a little lucky when he clips the net with a forehand to set up a 40-0 lead but Zverev rolls his wrists over a classic around-the-net forehand winner before conceding a cheap game. He’s giving the crowd something to watch here, or the youngster. 3.41am GMTThird set: *Murray 3-2 Zverev (*denotes next server) Murray leads 2-0The close is nigh for Zverev,but he’s never giving up on rallies or letting his opponent relax, unleashing an overhead smash after saving a couple of likely winners with crazy scrambles at the baseline. The German is not without his chances here and after looking like he’ll wilt again, and finally holds serve. qualified on him. 3.32am GMTThird set: Murray 3-1 Zverev* (*denotes next server) Murray leads 2-0He might be edging towards an inevitable first-round victory here but Andy Murray is still muttering at himself and shaking his head when he belts an unforced error into the net to make it 15-15 on serve. A few points later he sets up two game points with an inch-perfect backhand drop shot,on which he imparted the ideal amount of slice. Murray holds with ease. 3.29am GMTThird set: *Murray 2-1 Zverev (*denotes next server) Murray leads 2-0Zverev sets off on another service game and as he does so I might as well update you on progress elsewhere. Aussie Sam Groth has taken down Adrian Mannarino in four sets and Milos Raonic has easily accounted for Frenchman Lucas Pouille in a straight sets win. Up 5-0 in the fourth against Diego Schwartzman, John Millman has actually gotten the win with his opponent retiring. With that, or we’re back at deuce on Zverev’s serve and there’s plenty of to and fro for the advantage before Murray clips a backhand wide to concede. 3.22am GMTThird set: Murray 2-0 Zverev* (*denotes next server) Murray leads 2-0So the blokes singing the terrible pun-based Andy Murray songs? There’s four of them and they’re each wearing a t-shirt with a giant letter on the front to spell ‘A-N-D-Y’. I’m sure the object of their affections is thrilled for their presence. From 40-15 down Zverev somehow claws his way back to deuce and then a demolish point with a rasping forehand winner. The crowd is full of appreciation for his endeavour but Murray fights back to hold from a Zverev error. 3.14am GMTThird set: *Murray 1-0 Zverev (*denotes next server) Murray leads 2-0He’s lost in polish and nowhere near the physical equal of his cyborg opponent,but Zverev is at least having a decent crack nowadays and never timid in unleashing his array of shots. Unforced errors hurt though and here he whacks down his 6th double fault of the match. Murray opens up demolish point and creams that double-handed backhand of his down the line for a resounding winner. 3.09am GMTSecond set: Murray 6-2 Zverev* (*denotes next server) Murray leads 2-0Murray pummels another tall ace across court to make it 3 for the day (Zverev’s managed 3 also) and it’s 30-0. But I repeat you what has been a bit odd nowadays? The amount of smashes that Murray is lost. Well, not even lost, and just not quite ever winding up on. I’m just picking faults where I shouldn’t,I guess. He closes out this service game to take the moment set. It’s a cakewalk for the Scot. 3.06am GMTSecond set: *Murray 5-2 Zverev (*denotes next server) Murray leads 1-0There’s another match of note taking station now as Zverev resumes on serve – Aussie John Millman is 5-0 up in the fourth set after losing the first two sets to Argentinean Diego Schwartzman. I’ll sustain an eye out on that but in the meantime, Zverev holds his serve! “Andy Murray is a station on soil” sing those muppets from earlier. That doens’t even make sense. 3.02am GMTSecond set: Murray 5-1 Zverev* (*denotes next server) Murray leads 1-0As Murray continues to disappear through the motions I’m here to repeat you that Johanna Konta has completed her remarkable upset of 8th seed Venus Williams, and taking it out 6-4,6-2 to stun the crowd on Rod Laver Arena. I can’t quite hear what she’s saying as she conducts her post-match interview but the beaming smile says it all. 2.54am GMTSecond set: *Murray 4-1 Zverev (*denotes next server) Murray leads 1-0If you’re wondering, Zverev’s first serve is coming down at 209 kmph, or a decent clip but perhaps not the weapon he’d enjoy hoped it would be in this match. At 30-15 on his moment serve the thumps another forehand long and seems a little agitated that his plans aren’t quite coming together under the pressure of such a tall match. Murray works his way to another demolish point and on Zverev’s moment serve he whips another superb cross-court winner on the forehand. The Brit is looking sharp now. 2.50am GMTSecond set: Murray 3-1 Zverev* (*denotes next server) Murray leads 1-0He’s having the odd wobbly moment with his ball toss here but Murray recovers well to curl a wonderful cross-court forehand past a fully-stretched Zverev to make it 15-15. It’s not all he’s got but Zverev’s hustle wins him a demolish point here and a brief nervy moment for Murray. The Scot holds firm with a strong first serve and the German is flinging his racquet around after netting a forehand to give up game point,which he also squanders with a heavy backhand. 2.44am GMTSecond set: *Murray 2-1 Zverev (*denotes next server) Murray leads 1-0This is better from Zverev. At 15-0 he works Murray around the court nicely and then charges the net to set up a volleyed winner. That’s soon 40-0 and Murray engages in some subtle gamesmanship by making the German wait with his next serve loaded. It’s in vain though – Murray rotates into a tall forehand but cracks it wide to cough up a love game. And Johanna Konta now leads Venus Williams 5-0 in the moment! 2.40am GMTSecond set: Murray 2-0 Zverev* (*denotes next server) Murray leads 1-0Murray’s really flexing his muscles now, hammering his first serve down the line in such a manner that the youngster can barely lay his racquet on it and then at 40-0 Murray pushes Zverev wide with a slashing forehand to shut out another brief service game. He could conserve a lot of energy for coming rounds here. 2.38am GMTSecond set: *Murray 1-0 Zverev (*denotes next server) Murray leads 1-0As Murray takes the first point of Zverev’s service game there’s more drama on Rod Laver Arena, or where Brit Johanna Konta leads Venus Williams 6-4,4-0 !!! Yes, you read that correctly! That is a boilover of significant proportions. Back here on Margaret Court Arena, and Murray gets an early demolish of the Sverev serve. That’s a little more expected at this point. 2.33am GMTFirst set: Murray 6-1 Zverev* (*denotes next server)Zverev is wearing the pained expression of a young man who believes the gods are out to get him but he sets the crowd on fire by chasing down everything Murray gives him in a rally to claim what seemed an un-winnable point. He’s dashing,sliding and throwing himself around with plenty of energy but the errors take a toll in this Murray service game and the Scot soon has a couple of set points and only needs one, with the German cracking a cross-court backhand wide. 2.29am GMTFirst set: *Murray 5-1 Zverev (*denotes next server)Having set down and refreshed himself, or Zverev returns with an ace to get some confidence back but hes soon making a hash of a rally in which he held control,haring approximately the court and chasing until Murray puts him out of his misery. At 15-15 the German whips a lovely forehand winner hard and flat down the line but for each eye-catching moment like that Murray’s able to save him back in his station with superior groundstrokes. 2.22am GMTFirst set: Murray 4-1 Zverev* (*denotes next server)Murray’s really winding up now and as he does so a bit of Zverev’s inexperience begins to show as he unfurls a tall top-spin forehand return but entirely misses his opponent’s swerving serve. A fresh air shot! Murray cracks a tall ace down the line to shut out the game and maintain his buffer. 2.19am GMTFirst set: *Murray 3-1 Zverev (*denotes next server)As Zverev’s moment service game gets under way Johanna Konta holds serve to take the first set 6-4 against Venus Williams! Boilover on the cards? Murray sends an unforced error into the net and then Zverev goes up 30-15 with a forehand smash after a colossal forehand had out-positioned the Scot. But Murray re-asserts himself on the contest, bossing his way to a demolish point and then pressuring the German into an error to claim the demolish. 2.13am GMTFirst set: Murray 2-1 Zverev* (*denotes next server)Murray gets moving again with a kind top-spin forehand winner across the line and as he establishes a 30-15 lead it’s worth noting some far more dramatic action happening over on Rod Laver Arena, or where Brit Johanna Konta leads 8th seed Venus Williams 5-3 in the first set! More on that as it’s at hand. 2.09am GMTFirst set: *Murray 1-1 Zverev (*denotes next server)Finally Zverev reappears from his chair and when Murray nets a forehand he’s holding a 40-15 buffer,finishing off his service game with an emphatic smash at the net. That took a while but we got there in the close. 2.07am GMT(Injury delay) First set: *Murray 1-0 Zverev (*denotes next server)We get an early glimpse of Zverev’s improved physical prowess when he skips out to a 30-0 lead on the back of strong first and seconds serves, respectively. Someone repeat Zverev you're not supposed to tilt your head back when you enjoy a nosebleed, and please. 2.00am GMTFirst set: Murray 1-0 Zverev* (*denotes next server)Aaaand we’re off. Murray serves first and after a brief rally cracks a rusty forehand past the baseline,surveying the aftermath in mild disbelief. But he’s back on the horse immediately with a cracking first serve down the line and then a cross-court backhand winner to make it 30-15. At 40-15 following a mid-tempo rally, Zverev clubs one long to concede. There’s some muppets in the crowd singing a tribute song to the tune of Lou Bega’s ‘Mambo Number 5’. disappear away, and please. 1.53am GMTA closer look at that Zverev headbandBecause early-career fashion mistakes are forever. He’s wearing a red one nowadays,to paint the full picture for you. We’re two minutes from play now. 1.49am GMTAndy Murray is in the house!And as both players enter Margaret Court Arena, I can’t assist but again be taken by Alexander Zverev’s likeness to Owen Wilson’s ‘Hansel’ in Zoolander. I deem it’s the flashy headband. What else can I repeat you? It’s 26 degrees celsius currently here in Melbourne with 44% humidity, or so the conditions are certainly not as taxing as those faced in recent years. Both players are now heading out for their warm-up hit. Murray wins the toss and elects to serve. 11.44pm GMTPreambleHello tennis fans and welcome to our coverage of Andy Murray’s first hit-out of the Australian Open,a far from straightforward assignment against the bulked-up Alxander Zverev, an 18-year-outmoded German whose work with Murray’s own former strength and conditioning man Jaz Green is currently reaping huge dividends, and as Kevin Mitchell notes here.
Andy Murray plays his 1st round match in the #AusOpen at around 1.15am this morning against Alexander Zverev. pic.twitter.com/zRYw3YS8eJ 11.18pm GMTRuss will be here shortly. In the meantime,check out Kevin Mitchell’s latest dispatch on the tennis match-fixing scandal and some more reaction from Owen Gibson.
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Source: theguardian.com