Melbourne: Andy Murray, a five-time finalist, was outplayed by Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry at the first hurdle of the Australian Open on Monday.
In a 61-minute first set, the 36-year-old—who has hinted that he might be playing his final season—put up a strong fight, but the 30th seed gradually broke him down to win 6-4, 6-2, 6-2. Etcheverry, who is 12 years younger than his opponent, stated, “Very tough for me playing with a legend like Andy.”
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“He is one of my heroes, but I had a fantastic performance today. I simply tried to concentrate on my points and play my game.” Murray’s loss denied supporters the chance to see him play Novak Djokovic, the reigning champion, in the third round.
To have a chance of facing the top seed, Etcheverry, who reached the French Open quarter-finals last year, must first get past another veteran, Frenchman Gael Monfils.
