Murray and Osaka Suffers Disappointing First Round Defeat at The Australian Open
Tomas Martin Etcheverry progressed to the second round of the Australian Open courtesy of a 6-4 6-2 6-2 win against Andy Murray. Next up for the world No. 32 is a second-round clash against Gael Monfils. The loss continues a disappointing start to the season for five-time Australian Open finalist Murray, who is yet to win a tour match this year and made 37 unforced errors against Etcheverry.
Tomas Martin Etcheverry beat Andy Murray 6-4 6-2 6-2 in the first round of the Australian Open. Etcheverry, who only broke the top 100 in 2022, hit 38 winners to Murray's 21, while the Brit contributed 37 unforced errors to his opponent's 19 as the 24-year-old produced a mix exquisite drop shots and perfectly-placed lobs to discombobulate an out-of-sorts Murray.
The loss continues a poor start to the season for Murray, who was beaten by Grigor Dimitrov in the first round of the Brisbane International in his only tour-level match ahead of the first Grand Slam of the year.
Etcheverry came out on top in a topsy-turvy first set before a clinical showing in the second put the Argentine in firm control, and there was to be no repeat of Murray's second-round heroics from 2023, where he fought back from two sets down to beat Thanasi Kokkinakis, as the 30th seed saw it out to match his best showing at Melbourne Park, having also made the second round in 2023.
Ahead of the tournament, Murray spoke of the need to improve his serve if he harboured hopes of a deep run in Melbourne, but he was broken twice as he ceded a gruelling first set that took just over an hour.
With both of their previous encounters going the distance - Murray won at Indian Wells last year and Etcheverry in Basel - it seemed that a marathon first-round clash could be in the offing. However, that would not play out.The Brit soon found himself a set and a break down and the decision to take a more expansive approach to the second set did not pay dividends as he was broken again by Etcheverry, who served it out to edge himself closer to a second-round appearance.
Murray’s five-set win against Kokkinakis in 2023 meant the three-time Grand Slam winner had fought back from two sets down 11 times in his career – an ATP Tour record.
However, an out-of-sorts Murray, who was carrying a pronounced limp as the third set wore on, was unable to apply the
required pressure to the 24-year-old Argentine’s game, and thus unable to extend that record as two further breaks of serve saw Etcheverry through.
Next up for Etcheverry is a showdown with Gael Monfils. Should he pass that test, world No. 1 Novak Djokovic will likely be waiting in round three.
Caroline Garcia will face Magdalena Frech in the second round of the Australian Open after she beat the returning Naomi Osaka 6-4 7-6(2) in a match of supreme quality on Rod Laver Arena. Neither player took a step backwards in an enthralling contest but it was Garcia who emerged the victor. For Osaka, despite the defeat, it was an impressive return to Grand Slam tennis following a 15-month hiatus.
Caroline Garcia squeezed past the returning Naomi Osaka in the first round of the Australian Open courtesy of a 6-4 7-6(2) success on Rod Laver Arena.
It was Osaka’s first appearance at a Grand Slam since the 2022 US Open, and she ultimately fell short in a tightly-contested affair, with 16th seed Garcia coming up clutch in the important moments to seal her progression.
It is the first time Osaka has ever lost in the opening round of the Australian Open, where she is a two-time winner.
Osaka held the advantage in the head-to-head against Garcia coming into the match, having won their only previous meeting, a round-of-64 encounter at the 2021 Australian Open.
The Japanese star went on to win the tournament that year but there would be no repeat in 2024 as Garcia progressed to a second-round clash against Frech next, after she beat Daria Saville.
This was only Osaka's third tour-level match after a 15-month hiatus following the birth of her daughter Shai, having made the second round of the WTA Tour at Brisbane International earlier this month.
Ahead of that return, Osaka said she considered this the "second chapter” of her career, but her performance mirrored that of the first, with the four-time Grand Slam winner looking to get on the front foot from the off.
However, in Garcia, she found a player very much of similar ilk. Both attempted to dominate the rallies early on and in the first set it was Garcia who managed to get the upper hand. World No. 19 Garcia hit 13 winners and 13 unforced errors to her opponent’s count of eight and 15.
Garcia managed to convert that superiority into a decisive break in the fifth game of the set to open up a one-set lead.
The second set followed the same pattern as the first with both players looking to dominate from the back of the court.
It went with serve all the way, meaning Garcia served twice to stay in the set.
However, she held her nerve to keep the set on serve and then in the tie-break to secure the win in what was still a very impressive return to Grand Slam tennis from Osaka.
