Andy Murray Makes It Through To Sydney Quarter-Final
Locker Room
January 12, 2022
Andy Murray won a three-set thriller against Nikoloz Basilashvili to reach the quarter-finals at the Sydney Tennis Classic.
And whatever happens from here, Murray has shown he is in good shape for the Australian Open later this month.
You don’t win after three-and-a-quarter hours of high-intensity action unless you’re pretty much ready for anything.
The Scot has a wild card for the first Grand Slam of the year and the draw will be made on Thursday.
Andy will be seeking to build momentum all the way into the British summer.
He wants nothing more than to go deep at Wimbledon 2022 and give himself a chance of lifting the trophy.
It seems unwise to write him off these days. He has just surprised us all once more.
Andy Murray’s dream of winning Wimbledon 2022 appears to be very much alive.
He certainly seems to have the staying power after his epic win over Basilashvili.
Andy could have made lighter work of this tricky task after earning himself a break in the first set, though.
Then when he broke clear to try to level the match in the second, he was pegged back once more.
But there is something very steely about Murray now that his fitness has returned.
And ultimately he triumphed 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 to book a quarter-final spot against David Goffin.
In a way the pair are kindred spirits.
Andy explained of his next opponent: ‘He had a tough year last year, missing a lot of tennis due to surgery.
‘He’s on his way back, but he’s been up in the top ten or fifteen in the world for many years before his injuries. I’m sure he’ll want to get back there.’
Murray also wants to get back to the top. And he is showing every sign of being able to do so.
That’s exciting news for Wimbledon 2022 fans. Andy Murray back to his best once more!
He’ll have to get more ruthless in order to thrive throughout a Grand Slam fortnight though.
Murray acknowledged: ‘I do like the physicality but I’d rather make it easier on myself.
‘Basilashvili is consistently hitting the ball bigger than anyone else on tour and I was having to do a bit of defending and running. But my legs held up well in the end.
‘I got a lot of free points on my serve. The rallies were on his terms a lot of the time. So I tried to serve bigger.’
The fact that Murray can use his serve as a weapon these days shows just how far he has come since injury.
Wimbledon 2022 should be quite something with Andy and Emma Raducanu firing on all cylinders on grass!
Will you be there to see the most historic Slam?
Click here to secure your tickets to the next Wimbledon Championships.