'Perfect draw' – Mats Wilander says playing an Aussie will benefit Andy Murray in the second round of Australian Open

ByYara El-Shaboury

Updated 18/01/2023 at 16:50 GMT

Andy Murray inspired many with an exhilarating performance, beating 13th seed Matteo Berrettini in the first round of the Australian Open. He will take on Thanasi Kokkinakis in the next round, and Eurosport experts Mats Wilander, Justine Henin, and Tim Henman all previewed the match and spoke about how Murray could beat the Australian in front of his home fans.

Andy Murray will benefit from the "influx of energy" of the crowd when he plays Australia's Thanasi Kokkinakis in the second round of the Australian Open, says Eurosport expert Mats Wilander.

The former world No.1 showed that he was still competitive in the biggest games after seeing off 13th seed Matteo Berrettini in the first round.

Murray managed a two-set lead on Rod Laver Arena, but Berrettini managed a comeback to force a deciding set. The Italian had thrown away a match point to win, and before he knew it, Murray took the final set on a tie-break.

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Murray now faces a local hero in his second-round match, which is exclusively live on Eurosport in the final match on Margaret Court Arena on Thursday.

“[Kokkinakis] is the perfect draw for him," said Wilander, when previewing Murray's second-round match up.

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"If he does pull up a little bit tired, becoming sore and slow, he’s playing against an Aussie. The crowd is going to be so involved, and suddenly, you can just turn that match into your last, thinking ‘This is it; this is the last match. They’re cheering for him…I believe in myself…’

“Is he good enough to beat Kokkinakis? Yes, he is. If he can beat Berrettini, he can beat Kokkinakis. The influx of energy from the crowd is going to help Andy," continued Wilander.

"I’m a bit surprised it’s on Margaret Court rather than Rod Laver because this is a blockbuster of a match, but maybe that will play into Murray’s hands, playing on a smaller court.”

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Justine Henin heaped praise on the Briton's first-round performance, saying: “Murray’s match was so emotional. It’s an inspiration. Some are asking the question of why is he doing this, but I loved the fact that he said he’s been tough with himself, but now he can say he’s proud of himself.

"He was moving so well yesterday. Of course, we don’t expect a vintage Andy Murray as we’ve had in the past, but he’s still so competitive, especially being so close to losing that match. After everything he’s done, it’s fantastic for the game and an inspiration for young players. We were all so happy for him.”

“I sent him a well-done message, and asked him how he felt. He said he pulled up quite well," added Tim Henman.

"There might be a little bit of muscle soreness, but he was pleasantly surprised. I’m sure he’s had a light day today, and playing later tomorrow gives him that extra time to recover. Hopefully, he can go out there and put in another good performance because I thought his level against Berrettini was incredible.”

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Stream the 2023 Australian Open live on discovery+, the Eurosport app and at eurosport.co.uk

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