Not the comeback he was hoping for
British number one Andy Murray has been knocked out of the Australian Open in just the second round after suffering a defeat in straight sets to Taro Daniel.
The 34-year-old was dispatched with relative ease by the Japanese player, ranked 120th in the world, who took down the Scotsman in three fairly efficient 6-4s.
Incredible! 🙌
Big win for @tarodaniel93 who defeats Andy Murray 6-4 6-4 6-4 to reach the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time.
🎥: @AustralianOpen | #AusOpen | #AO2022 pic.twitter.com/nsQubGLr2s
— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 20, 2022
His impressive display included multiple breaks of serve in the opening set and despite Murray showing glimpses of quality, he squandered key moments, notably in the second set, when he let four break points in Daniel’s opening service game escape him.
Murray didn’t have the most straightforward first round either, beating Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili, just clinching the final set after a tense fourth. The game was also disrupted by a member of the crowd chanting Cristiano Ronaldo’s ‘Siu’ chant as well.
Daniel secured victory with a delightful backhand volley that any top pro would have been proud of, let alone the three-time Grand Slam winner.
He has, of course, been blighted by physical setbacks for some time now and is yet to make the full comeback he had hoped for since his most recent groin injury. Murray has never won the Australian Open and will have to wait another year to get a chance.
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