Andy Murray moves on to the 3rd round of the Australian Open
Andy Murray raced through his second-round match like he was in a hurry to get somewhere, winning 6-0, 6-4, 6-1 against an Aussie who was playing on Rod Laver Arena for the first time.
With his pregnant wife back in Britain, due to have their first baby next month, the No. 2-ranked player doesn’t want to labor too many points as he bids to win the Australian Open title for the first time after losing four finals.
Murray improved his perfect record against Australian opponents to 17-0 when he beat Sam Groth on Thursday. Groth, who boasts the fastest serve in tennis, let it be known just as they were preparing to enter the center court at Melbourne Park that he hadn’t ever played on the biggest stage at the season’s first major.
“I was like ‘OK great! That’s good for me,’” he said.
Murray, who has one of the best returns of serve in the game, didn’t give him much of a look before closing with an ace — his 10th — in 1 hour, 31 minutes.
He said it was a bonus for him that Groth’s serve wasn’t firing in the first set — when he was broken three times.
Murray, who broke long droughts for British men by winning the 2012 U.S. Open, Wimbledon in 2013 and the Davis Cup last year, has lost only once in 14 matches against local players at their home Grand Slam — to Gael Monfils at the 2006 French Open.
Joao Sousa, the 32nd seed, beat Santiago Giraldo 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 6-1 and will play Murray in the next round.
Other big servers had more success than Groth. No. 10 John Isner fired 20 aces and 53 winners in a 6-3, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (2) win over Marcel Granollers, and No. 14 Milos Raonic had 24 aces as he fended off Tommy Robredo 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5), 7-5 in a match containing one service break. No. 23 Gael Monfils beat fellow Frenchman Nicolas Mahut 7-5, 6-4, 6-1.
There was a lengthy delay on Rod Laver Arena in the first match of the day, during Ana Ivanovic’s 6-3, 6-3 win over Anastasija Sevastova.
The 2008 finalist was leading Sevastova 4-3 in the first set when medical personnel rushed to help a spectator who had fallen on the stairs in the upper level of the 15,000-seat stadium. The players stayed on the court during the break, getting regular updates from tournament officials.
“First, I felt really bad. I was really shaking, because the sound of the lady falling was really loud,” she said. “I stopped immediately.
“I was really shaking, because I could imagine, and it was not so nice. I hope she’s well.”
Tournament organizers said the spectator was treated in the stadium before being taken by stretcher for observation and more treatment.
With second-ranked Simon Halep and No. 7 Venus Williams already out, Ivanovic (No. 20) is the most experienced player in her quarter.
Third-seeded Garbine Muguruza is in the same half of the draw, and the 2015 Wimbledon finalist moved into the third round for the third straight year at Melbourne Park with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Kirsten Flipkens. Muguruza next plays Barbora Strycova, who beat Vania King 7-6 (5), 6-4.
Two-time champion Victoria Azarenka returned from an injury layoff to win the Brisbane International title leading into the Australian Open and continued her strong run with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Danka Kovinic. Japanese qualifier Naomi Osaka beat No. 18 Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-4.
For the second time in three days, Novak Djokovic won a match at the Australian Open and was confronted by questions about match-fixing in the sport.
The five-time champion had just beaten 19-year-old French wild-card entry Quentin Halys 6-1, 6-2, 7-6 (3) in the second round Wednesday night — his 34th win in his past 35 matches at Melbourne Park — when his news conference veered to questions about the issue that has overshadowed the start of the season’s first major.
Djokovic was asked about an Italian newspaper report casting doubt over his performance in a match against Fabrice Santoro in Paris in 2007.
Djokovic said the speculation was getting out of control.
“What (is there) to say? I’ve lost that match. I don’t know if you’re trying to create a story about that match or for that matter any of the matches of the top players losing in the early rounds. I think it’s just absurd,” Djokovic said. “It’s not true.
“My response is that there’s always going to be, especially these days when there is a lot of speculation — this is now the main story in tennis, in sports world — there’s going to be a lot of allegations,” Djokovic said. “I said everything I needed to say two days ago. Until somebody comes out with the real proof and evidence, it’s only a speculation for me.”