Flat Andy Murray suffers disappointing first-round exit at hands of Tomas Martin Etcheverry at Australian Open

ByEurosport

Updated 15/01/2024 at 14:22 GMT

Tomas Martin Etcheverry progressed to the second round of the Australian Open courtesy of a 6-4 6-2 6-2 win against Andy Murray. Next up for the world No. 32 is a second-round clash against Gael Monfils. The loss continues a disappointing start to the season for five-time Australian Open finalist Murray, who is yet to win a tour match this year and made 37 unforced errors against Etcheverry.

'Definitely a possibility' - Murray hints that defeat could be his final match in Australia

Tomas Martin Etcheverry beat Andy Murray 6-4 6-2 6-2 in the first round of the Australian Open.

Etcheverry hit 38 winners to Murray's 21, while the Brit contributed 37 unforced errors to his opponent's 19 as the 24-year-old produced a mix of exquisite drop shots and perfectly-placed lobs to discombobulate an out-of-sorts Murray.

The loss continues a poor start to the season for Murray, who was beaten by Grigor Dimitrov in the first round of the Brisbane International in his only tour-level match ahead of the first Grand Slam of the year.

ATP Rome

Nadal: Murray was the only player close to level of Federer, Djokovic and myself

09/05/2024 at 21:23

Etcheverry came out on top in a topsy-turvy first set before a clinical showing in the second put the Argentine in firm control.

And there was to be no repeat of Murray's second-round heroics from 2023, where he fought back from two sets down to beat Thanasi Kokkinakis, as the 30th seed saw it out to match his best showing at Melbourne Park, having also made the second round in 2023.

"It was an incredible match for me," said Etcheverry on court.

"It’s very tough to play against a legend like Andy, he’s one of my idols. We played twice last year, a long battle like this, but today, I played incredibly. I hope that I can continue with this level in the next match."

Ahead of the tournament, Murray spoke of the need to improve his serve if he harboured hopes of a deep run in Melbourne, but he was broken twice as he ceded a gruelling first set that took just over an hour.

Murray 'magic' as the Brit finds 'incredible' shot against Etcheverry

With both of their previous encounters going the distance - Murray won at Indian Wells last year and Etcheverry in Basel - it seemed that a marathon first-round clash could be in the offing.

However, that would not play out.

The Brit soon found himself a set and a break down and the decision to take a more expansive approach to the second set did not pay dividends as he was broken again by Etcheverry, who served it out to edge himself closer to a second-round appearance.

Murray’s five-set win against Kokkinakis in 2023 meant the three-time Grand Slam winner had fought back from two sets down 11 times in his career – an ATP Tour record.

However, an out-of-sorts Murray, who was carrying a pronounced limp as the third set wore on, was unable to apply the required pressure to the 24-year-old Argentine’s game, and thus unable to extend that record as two further breaks of serve saw Etcheverry through.

Next up for Etcheverry is a showdown with Gael Monfils. Should he pass that test, world No. 1 Novak Djokovic will likely be waiting in round three.