Veterans Murray and Wawrinka Exit Australian Open Early

In a surprising turn of events, both Andy Murray, a five-time Australian Open runner-up, and Stan Wawrinka, the 2014 champion, were eliminated in the first round on Monday. Murray faced a defeat with a score of 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 at the hands of Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry, while Wawrinka engaged in a five-set battle against the 20th seed Adrian Mannarino before succumbing with a score of 6-4, 3-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-0.

Murray last exited the opening round of the Melbourne Park major in 2019 when he expressed uncertainties about his tennis future but later revived his career after undergoing hip-resurfacing surgery. The 36-year-old, a two-time Wimbledon champion, has faced challenges in advancing to the later stages of Grand Slams in recent years but managed to reach the third round in Melbourne in 2023 with consecutive five-set victories.

Wawrinka, the 38-year-old Swiss player and the only player in the men’s draw apart from defending champion Novak Djokovic to have won the Melbourne Park trophy, hopes that his loss on Monday will not mark his final appearance at the Grand Slam. He remarked, “I’ll see how the year goes. It’s just the beginning of the year. In general, I’m quite positive with where I am right now. Even after the loss, there is some good opportunity for me to keep pushing, keep playing some good results, and hopefully I can come back next year.”

In a separate match, third seed Daniil Medvedev faced a challenging encounter against Frenchman Terence Atmane. Atmane struggled with serious cramps due to the scorching conditions on Margaret Court Arena. Although he stunned Medvedev by taking the first set, he had to retire when trailing 5-7, 6-2, 6-4, 1-0.

Medvedev commented on the tough conditions, stating, “The conditions were brutal. The more he (Atmane) plays this intensity, the better he will be prepared.” Despite a shaky start, Medvedev expressed his relief at advancing, saying, “I’m just happy to be through. I played bad at the beginning in the first set, but I was happy I could regain momentum.”