ANDY MURRAY DEFEATS ILLYA MARCHENKO 7-5, 7-6, 6-2
After two hours and 47 minutes on the court – far longer than he would have wished – Andy Murray is through to the second round. Illya Marchenko was relentless for two sets, making life very difficult for the world No1, breaking his serve three times in eight to begin. But from there, Murray found a way out of the second set, then pressed home the advantage to finish it off in a relative stroll. Far from his most fluent outing, but ultimately doing what he had to do.
That, I suspect, is all that matters for those of you waking up in the UK. Your boy is through in straight sets, and has taken the first in a long series of steps required over the next fortnight to win his first Australian Open title.
And that’s where we’ll leave it from Melbourne Park for now. Thanks for your company, and keep following the Guardian’s comprehensive coverage of 2017’s Australian Open.
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Third set: *Murray 7-5, 7-6, 6-2 Marchenko (* denotes server): “It hasn’t been the afternoon we anticipated,” is the view of the TV caller. Not wrong, but to be fair to Murray he did fight back well from the moment he went down a break in the second set. Broader point would be that he shouldn’t be losing the plot quite as easily as he did earlier on. The final service game gets to 30-all, the motions gone through by both, the match closed out when Marchenko pings it long. And that’s it!
Third set: Murray 7-5, 7-6, 5-2 Marchenko* (*denotes server): A straightforward service game for Marchenko, Murray reluctant to expend any unnecessary energy at this stage. Murray to serve for the match after the change of ends.
Third set: Murray *7-5, 7-6, 5-1 Marchenko (*denotes server): One more for the Marchenko highlight reel. He doesn’t get a chance to play on this stage very often, and can be proud of that lobbed winner. It brought a smile to his face. But it didn’t do that much damage, Murray given a short ball to put away at 40-30. Sure enough, he obliged. One game away.
Third set: Murray 7-5, 7-6, 4-1 Marchenko* (*denotes server): Error after error from Marchenko. He looks spent. And he’d be weighed down as well by the opportunities he threw away in the second set. Sure enough, a break point comes and is secured when the Ukrainian whacks the ball out when attempting a tired forehand. Murray in the final stretch here.
Third set: *Murray 7-5, 7-6, 3-1 Marchenko (*denotes server): Easy points for Murray to 40-0, the third of which an ace out wide. Marchenko reviewed - he has to - but the technology confirms that the line was clipped. The Brit does the rest. The support box copping less stick from their boy now.
Relief for 🇬🇧 @andy_murray as he manages to secure the break to lead a tiring 🇺🇦 @imarchello 2-1 in the third #AusOpen #7TENNIS pic.twitter.com/mPvzcpQqyx
— #7TENNIS 🎾 (@7tennis) January 16, 2017
Third set: Murray 7-5, 7-6, 2-1 Marchenko* (*denotes server): After battling so hard for so long, Marchenko is just about gone here, evidenced by two double faults. Murray didn’t miss the chance to attack, claiming a break from deuce when the Ukrainian pushed a forehand crosscourt a tad too far. The shadows are creeping over Rod Laver Arena, the match having lasted nearly two and a half hours. Surely the world number one will run through this set fairly easily from here and be out of here inside three hours.
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Third set: *Murray 7-5, 7-6, 1-1 Marchenko (*denotes server): 46 per cent for Murray’s first serve so far today, but he’s relatively fluent here compared to the previous set, finishing it off to 15 with a nice little forehand crosscourt. A rare ace in that game as well, which will encourage him as both players will surely start labouring. It isn’t streaming hot out there, but it is warm enough.
Third set: Murray 7-5, 7-6, 0-1 Marchenko* (*denotes server): After a trip to the gents between sets, Marchenko is focussed on serve, forcing Murray into a couple of errors after landing a forehand winner earlier in the game. Needs to keep making his first serve.
Another tought one, but 🇬🇧 @andy_murray gets there! He wins the tiebreak to take the second set 7-6 over 🇺🇦 @imarchello #AusOpen #7TENNIS pic.twitter.com/tmarVfFIyt
— #7TENNIS 🎾 (@7tennis) January 16, 2017
SECOND SET: MURRAY 7-5, 7-6 MARCHENKO
Let’s hope no one has to ever watch that again. Murray fumed at his support staff periodically while missing far more opportunities than those he took. Marchenko ran to the net repeatedly to put the Scot under pressure, but lacked the necessary polish to finish him off after an early break. A tie-breaker was required, Murray’s big serve and forehand combination coming good at long last.
Second set tie break: Murray 7-5, 7-6 (7-5) Marchenko: At long last, Murray has won the set! He earned three set points via a huge ace down the middle, then got there with the final of those when back on serve, Marchenko unable to return a huge forehand. Phew.
Second set tie break: Murray 7-5, 6-6 (4-2) Marchenko: Quick update while they change ends. First three points against serve then Murray up 4-1, but the sixth point ends after a long rally with a Marchenko winner. Murray is angry for not hitting a winner himself when the opportunity came earlier in the slogathon, not hitting it hard enough.
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Second set: Murray 7-5, 6-6 Marchenko* (*denotes server): We are off to a tie break! There is no doubting who the crowd are with based on that game, Marchenko smashing a forehand winner down the line at 30-15 much to their joy. But a forehand slice next up is ill-considered and into the net. But he held his nerve again, landing another forehand winner to win his way into the decider for the set.
Second set: *Murray 7-5, 6-5 Marchenko (*denotes server): It’s taken nearly two hours, but finally some Murray genius. Looking in the hole, and at deuce a second time, he get out of the service game after executing a picture-perfect forehand lob over Marchenko who came to the net to try and find a way through. The game should have been wrapped up by Murray way back at 40-15, but the Ukrainian landed a crosscourt forehand to keep on track, before getting on a roll. The result: he has to serve to stay in the set again.
Second set: Murray 7-5, 5-5 Marchenko* (*denotes server): Nerve held by Marchenko, after it looked quite the opposite as he second-guessed himself at 30-15, pulling out of a smash and clobbering long. But Murray went long himself to give him the game point, and he made no mistake putting away a volley after a sound serve. Has to be a tie-breaker here.
Second set: *Murray 7-5, 5-4 Marchenko (*denotes server): Murray holds. He went down 15-30 early, but smashed his way out of trouble, forcing three consecutive Marchenko errors from the back of the court - who will now serve to stay in the set. That happened fast.
Frantelle water tastes very average and I'm glad Sir Andy Murray agrees pic.twitter.com/Yjh3irNA25
— Vince Rugari (@VinceRugari) January 16, 2017
Second set: Murray 7-5, 4-4 Marchenko* (*denotes server): There is the break back from Murray! A big deflection off the net ended the final rally after a game of plenty of emotion, both players roaring upon winning a point. Murray was deflated early when missing a forehand at 15-all, but his opponent then did the same, before giving a break point with a poor backhand. Tit for tat with errors but forced and unforced. But we’re back on serve, Murray helped too by it not being a change of ends, able to quickly capitalise on the momentum of the break-back.
Second set: *Murray 7-5, 3-4 Marchenko (*denotes server): Murray is very fortunate there to hold on, it requiring four deuce attempts after Marchenko landed winners with the backhand down the line then across the court. But the fortune for Murray came at the end. A serve was called long, but the Scot challenged it - on the proviso that if the technology ruled it in that he would win the point, consulting the chair umpire on this point. He did, and it was. There’s a bit of confusion on the TV call as to whether he’s allowed to make that inquiry when deciding if he goes upstairs. Murray, it’s also observed on the TV, is talking to his support staff after every point. They won’t be making a commemorative DVD of this one. So scrappy.
Second set: Murray 7-5, 2-4 Marchenko* (*denotes server): Big fist pump from Marchenko’s coach when Murray’s backhand goes into the net at 40-30. Three winners on the forehand side belies the pre-game intel that it was his backhand that Murray had to be most aware of. His volleys are especially effective when racing to the net more by the game.
Sir @andy_murray in action at @AustralianOpen today @theage_photo @theagesport pic.twitter.com/HlRVNFsC8v
— Darrian Traynor (@DarrianTraynor) January 16, 2017
Second set: *Murray 7-5, 2-3 Marchenko (*denotes server): Hard held, Murray wins the game to 30. Not a flattering game, all points were the product of errors. It’s turning into a right scrap here. Murray remains a break down, but Marchenko is still plenty of pressure himself. All told, Murray has been broken in three of his first eight service games. Not for nothing. But the pressure back onto the Ukrainian, needing to keeping winnings gams with his relatively fragile serve.
Second set: Murray 7-5, 1-3 Marchenko* (*denotes server): “Bizarre behaviour” is the observation on the TV commentary. “It has cost him this game... it is concentration.” Murray is filthy again as Marchenko closes out his service game via winners with his forehand and backhand after Murray twice hit into the net.
Second set: *Murray 7-5, 1-2 Marchenko (*denotes server): Murray broken! A crosscourt forehand winner from the back of the court gave Marchenko his first point against Murray’s serve this set. He converted this small window into four points on the spin, the last a forehand winner down the line executed perfectly. Can he keep his nerve and consolidate the break?
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Second set: Murray 7-5, 1-1 Marchenko* (*denotes server): Marchenko’s first point of the set comes at 0-15, but he has to work hard for it with a couple of smash attempts, Murray scrambling well. He then comes to the net with rapid pace to nail a little crosscourt backhand volley. That’s real pretty. And he closes out the game with a big serve down the middle that Murray barely gets a racquet on. Gotta admire this guy’s resilience.
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Second set: *Murray 7-5, 1-0 Marchenko (*denotes server): Is it the case that after doing so much to get back into that first set that Marchenko will struggle to stay with Murray now? It’s world number one’s easiest service game yet, his opponent not able to get into any point. A couple of winners, a couple of errors.
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FIRST SET: MURRAY 7 - 5 MARCHENKO
The Ukranian is extremely unlucky not to get that set into a tie-break. Murray is rusty. And angry. Marchenko is far less polished, and prone to disappointing errors, but utterly committed to the cause. It isn’t pretty, but it is a good little contest.
First set: Murray 7-5 Marchenko* (*denotes server): Hard not to feel for the Ukrainian here, who does so much right before routinely making rally errors. Murray is sitting back and waiting, knowing by now that it will surely come. In turn, he earns a set point at 30-40. And it happens again, missing long. He’s won the set.
First set: *Murray 6-5 Marchenko (*denotes server): To the net again goes Marchenko, profiting from a Murray error early in the game. He nearly does it again from close-range after a lengthy rally at 30-15 but misses. The crowd let out a big sigh when the ball is signalled out. They’re picked their guy, and fair to say it isn’t the Brit. He needs to dig deep with his second serve, and gets a bit of luck after a poor backhand error from his opponent, but Murray is first to six and Marchenko will again be serving to stay in the set.
First set: Murray 5-5 Marchenko* (*denotes server): Murray was right before the game about his opponent today being a scrapper. He’s excellent here again, chasing down balls all over the court gets the game to 30-all. Vision of Murray from the change of ends comes on the TV of him saying that phrase over and again “shocking movement.” It’s a proper tantrum. Meanwhile, Marchenko gets to 40-30 after putting away a volley, then wins the game with a big wide ace. All of a sudden, we’re level at five games all!
First set: *Murray 5-4 Marchenko (*denotes server): That’s the break back! Excellent game from the lesser-fancied man. It began with a long rally and an error from Marchenko. To be fair to Murray, he forced him into the passing shot after attacking the net. Should have done better, but hit it into the net himself. Makes it 15-all. Murray is kept to the back of the court with the Ukrainians hard-hit backhand, eventually making an error himself. He’s serving for the set but a bit of work to do then from 15-30. An easy point brings parity at 30, but deft touch at the net at the end of another rally generates a break point. Murray is good enough to see it off with a big serve, but another break point comes after Marchenko slays a backhand winner down the line, shot of the set so far. A chance to get back on serve... and he takes it! A break back and we are on serve. Another winner down the line, just falling in. Rewarded for gutsy tennis.
Andy Murray is fuming at the change of ends according to the commentary. “Shocking movement,” he is reported to have said time and time again. What’s that all about, I wonder?
This #AusOpen let's all refer to Showcourt 2 as Tina Arena. @collinsadam
— Dylan Leach (@leachitup) January 16, 2017
First set: Murray 5-3 Marchenko* (*denotes server): Marchenko fights back from 0-15 then 30-all to stay in the set with a successful forehand smash and his first ace of the match.
Adam Hirst is into it on the email, observing that it was more Steve Harmison than Andy Murray (poor old Harmy, always getting tagged with that) in the first game. But now? More this, he says.
First set: *Murray 5-2 Marchenko (*denotes server): Huge Murray serve to begin, an easy point. But Marchenko has every right to fist pump when making a lovely little crosscourt forehand. Murray is back on top soon enough, his serve too powerful. At 40-15 Marchenko sends a decision upstairs in hope as much as anything, but the technology confirms the call. He will now serve to stay in the set.
First set: Murray 4-2 Marchenko* (*denotes server): Comfortable start to Marchenko’s game before a familiar theme plays out - the Ukrainian missing long at the end of an attritional rally. 15-all. He makes a smash then lands a powerful first serve, giving the chance to serve it out at 40-15. He needs both attempts, but gets the game when Murray flays a forehand long.
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First set: *Murray 4-1 Marchenko (*denotes server): After breaking Murray to begin, Marchenko has lost his way since, illustrated at 30-15 when trying to flog a crosscourt forehand but hitting the frame, the ball landing closer to the crowd than the court. Murray wraps up an easy service game.
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First set: Murray 3-1 Marchenko* (*denotes server): Marchenko won just the seven games against Murray when they met here in the second round of 2011’s Australian Open. It’s a crisp serve/put away to begin this service game after the change of ends. But sure enough, a double fault isn’t far away. Plenty of those so far. Murray comes off best in a long rally as well, Marachenko missing long. Murray afforded two break points, he needs only one when the lower-ranked man tries get the top seed running, but is wide by a foot or more.
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First set: Murray* 2-1 Marchenko (*denotes server): The most physical rally to date goes to the world number 93, Murray unable to return a backhand when stretched wide. Another rally favours the same man, set up for a couple of forehand smashes by Murray, nailing the second. But from 30-all to 40-30 when Murray nails a 208kph ace down the T. And game when he goes it again. Much better. Got there the hard way, but we’re on serve.
Jasveer Jassi on the email reports that he’s just woken up in the middle of the night to watch Murray. “Should be an easy match,” he predicts. Presumably written before it began.
First set: Murray 1-1 Marchenko* (*denotes server): Marchenko catches the bug, double faulting himself after missing a backhand. When hitting a forehand volley into the net he’s given Murray the chance to break right back from 0-40. He does exactly that, at the first time of asking, when he whacks a second forehand into the net in succession. Terrible tennis everywhere to begin.
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First set: Murray* 0-1 Marchenko (*denotes server): Murray broken right away! A shocking start for the world number one, three double faults allowing the game to drift to deuce, before missing long twice. His first serve is all over the place in particular, abusing himself into the effects mics to the amusement of the commentary team. Don’t think anyone expected that.
Andy Murray has won the toss.
He’s elected to bat. Only kidding. He’ll serve.
This will be the first time that Murray has played under “Sir Andy” since getting the new title over New Year. “The Knight of the Realm” he is introduced by the courtside announcer on the way out.
In the lead up to the tournament Murray said he would be more than happy to just stay Andy, subtly discouraging too much officialdom at the Open. On the basis of that carry on, it appears they will be ignoring that though. (Cringe).
The warm up looks to be done. So we’ll be away in a couple of minutes.
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Welcome to Andy Murray's tournament.
Fair to be so blunt? Probably, for this is the first time that the Scotsman arrives at Melbourne Park as the number one seed. Expectations have never been higher.
With that assessment, welcome to our live game-by-game coverage of Andy Murray’s opening round hit-out on this the first afternoon of the 2017 Australian Open. I’m Adam Collins, and I have the great fortune of being here in glorious Melbourne. But to those of you getting up at 4am the UK to follow your guy from the very start of this tournament: respect.
Some context on what we have ahead.
In 2016 Murray was the first in the same calendar year to win a Grand Slam (his second Wimbledon), the World Tour Final, a Masters 1000 title and Olympic Gold. And yes, he has a Davis Cup in the kit-bag too, a US Open crown, a few Sports Personality of the Year gongs. Oh, and a Knighthood.
But he hasn’t won here. Five times the finalist, never the top dog. The most recent four of those were because Novak Djokovic got in the way, including the decider both last year and in 2015. Twelve months ago was one of the rougher nights Murray has experienced on tour, blown away in straight sets then racing to the airport unsure whether he would make the birth of his first child (thankfully, he did).
His ascension to top of the pops comes after winning the Paris Masters 1000 event in November, then knocking off his great rival Djokovic in London at the end of year Tour Final to confirm the ranking. The draw here dictates that the earliest they could face off this time time around would be in week-Sunday’s final. We should be so lucky.
What about the other guy, you ask? Well, it is Ukranian journeyman Illya Marchenko. The same age as Murray at 29, but a very different lot in his tennis life, the right-hander a staple of the secondary satellite circuit.
In saying that, his most recent Grand Slam appearance was his best, reaching the fourth round at Flushing Meadows in 2016, knocking off Nick Kyrgios in the process, before falling to Stan Wawrinka.
At Melbourne, Marchenko’s best performance was in 2011 where he reached the second round. Who ended his run then? What do you know: Andy Murray. The victor that day, in straight sets, doesn’t recall much about the contest, but knows that the Ukranian - once ranked 49th in the world - has a decent backhand, and scraps hard from the backcourt.
The way these two are viewed by the broader tennis world was no better illustrated than yesterday. Murray was given the chance to warm up on Rod Laver Arena - centre court at Melbourne - while Marchenko was told to find himself a back court.
Tweeting his frustration about the inconsistency, he received support from an unlikely ally: Murray’s brother Jamie. Nice touch, I thought.
Right. I can report that the weather at Melbourne Park is absolutely perfect for tennis, 29 degrees now and heading to a forecast high of 31 while these two are out there. That’s 88 in the old money if reading from the United States.
I look forward to your company throughout the course of the match. We’ll be expecting the players for their hit up in about ten minutes. For now? Let’s chat. Predictions, proclamations, tell me how you’re seeing it. Adam.Collins.Freelance@theguardian.com for considered views, @collinsadam your hotter takes.
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Adam will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s Kevin Mitchell on world No1 Andy Murray’s chances at this Australian Open.
