For the first time since 2017, Andy Murray is through to the second round of the Australian Open.
Murray, who has endured several injury hit seasons, out-lasted Nikoloz Basilashvili in a five-set first-round battle to progress in Melbourne.
Having reached the final of the ATP event in Sydney last week, Murray continued to show signs of somewhere approaching his best recent form in a performance of trademark fight and resistance to fell the 21st seed.
Taro Daniel will be his opponent in the next round. The 28-year-old beat Tomás Barrios in straight sets in his first round encounter, and has the chance to seal his first passage into the third round at one of tennis’ four Grand Slams.
Daniel has reached this stage of a major four times previously, including in Melbourne in 2019. That tournament was also Murray’s last appearance at the Australian Open, when the Scot made a first round exit - victory over Basilashvili was his first at the event in five years.
When is Andy Murray’s next match?
The second-round clash between Murray and Daniel is scheduled for Thursday 20 January. It is scheduled to not be played before 6:30am GMT as the last match on the John Cain Arena.
The winner of that match is likely to set up a meeting with Italian rising star and eleventh seed Jannik Sinner, who takes on Stevie Johnson having wasted little time dispatching Joao Sousa in his first match in Melbourne.
Last time out on the John Cain Arena the 34-year-old was irritated by fans’ impersonations of Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal celebrations during his match with Basilashvili.
“Initially, I thought it was booing because there were some people booing during my practice yesterday,” Murray said.
“But then after a few times it was like, ‘No, they’re doing that, I think it’s like ‘siuu’ or something that Ronaldo does when he scores.
“And, yeah, it was incredibly irritating,”
