Andy Murray, Naomi Osaka, Sloane Stephens advance in Miami،
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Andy Murray won another long match against Matteo Berrettini, who looked tired and leaned on his racket for balance during Murray's 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory Wednesday at the Miami Open.
Playing his first match on the ATP Tour this season, Berrettini was serving with Murray leading 5-2 in the second set when he appeared to get dizzy, placing his racket on the court to hold himself back. He was visited by a doctor who checked his blood pressure before returning to play.
Berrettini left the court after losing this set but was able to finish the match, which lasted 2 hours and 49 minutes.
It was a rematch of Murray's 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (10-6) victory that lasted more than 4.5 hours in the first round of the 2023 Australian Open.
“It was obviously a great win for me,” Murray said. “I started a little slow, but then I thought I played pretty well from the end of the first set until the end of the match. He created a lot of opportunities and he had a bit of badly during the end of the second and at the beginning of the third, and I took the opportunity to start the third quickly and serve well at the end. “
Plagued by injuries, Berrettini had not played a single match on tour since he was forced to withdraw during his second round match at last year's US Open. The 2021 Wimbledon finalist returned last week and reached the final of a Challenger Tour tournament in Phoenix.
Murray, 36, won the title twice in Miami and joined Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal as the only active players with 30 wins at the event. The three-time Grand Slam champion advanced to face No. 29 seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the second round.
Two-time US Open champion Naomi Osaka defeated Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-3, 6-4 in her return to Miami. The runner-up to Iga Swiatek in her last appearance in 2022 advanced to face No. 15 seed Elina Svitolina in the second round.
Elsewhere on the first full day of the tournament, Sloane Stephens celebrated her 31st birthday by beating Angelique Kerber 6-2, 6-3 in a match against former US Open women's champions. Additionally, Donna Vekic outlasted Karolina Pliskova 6-4, 2-6, 6-2; and Americans Danielle Collins and Shelby Rogers advanced with three-set victories.
On the men's side, the winners were Denis Shapovalov, who beat Luciano Darderi 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-4; and Martin Damm Jr., who outlasted China's Zhang Zhizhen 7-6 (2), 7-6 (3).
All 32 seeds earned first-round byes. No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka is expected to play her opening match against Paula Badosa on Friday.
