Murray triumphs over Berrettini, faces Shapovalov next in Miami Open

Andy Murray of Great Britain rallied to defeat Italy’s Matteo Berrettini with a score of 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 at the Miami Open’s first round on Wednesday, March 20. Murray delivered nine aces compared to Berrettini’s eight, successfully defended four out of five break points, and maintained the lead after dropping the first set. Murray, who previously clinched titles at this event in 2009 and 2013, remarked on the significance of his victory.

Berrettini, who entered the tournament on a protected ranking, required medical assistance during the second set due to dizziness, prompting a check of his blood pressure before the match continued.

In other matches, Canada’s Denis Shapovalov, also playing on a protected ranking, moved past Italy’s Luciano Darderi with scores of 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-4, progressing to the second round. Meanwhile, American wildcard entrant Martin Damm secured a win against China’s Zhizhen Zhang through two tiebreak sets, 7-6(2), 7-6(3).

In the women’s competition, Iga Swiatek, the world number one, is eyeing an exceptional achievement at the Miami Open. She aims to join a select group of players who have won the “Sunshine Double” (Indian Wells and Miami Open) back-to-back more than once, a feat previously achieved only by Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Steffi Graf. Swiatek, who won both tournaments in 2022, arrives in Florida fresh from her triumph at Indian Wells, where she didn’t lose a set and finished with a commanding 6-4, 6-0 victory over Maria Sakkari.

Swiatek, having just reached Miami and yet to play on the courts, is adopting a cautious stance due to the local humidity but remains positive about her season’s start.

Coco Gauff, the world number three from Florida, is set to leverage her local advantage. Following her semi-final exit at Indian Wells to Sakkari, Gauff is eager to perform well in Miami, buoyed by the support of her home crowd and the momentum from her U.S. Open victory last year.