By Matt Gallagher
British duo Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu progressed to the second round of the Australian Open.
Murry defeated Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili in a five-set thriller.
The unseeded Brit beat the 21st seed 6-1 3-6 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 in three hours and 52 minutes.
Being a three-time Grand Slam winner, Murray showed his career isn’t over just yet as he showed no sign of struggle to progress to round two.
Stan Wawrinka beat Murray in straight sets in the first round of the 2020 French Open, Murray’s last Grand Slam appearance.
The 34-year-old described the match as “amazing” and that, “it had been a tough three or four years,” for him in his on-court interview after the match.
Coming up in the next round will be Japanese qualifier Taro Daniel, who defeated fellow qualifier Tomas Barrios Vera in straight sets.
Raducanu, Britain’s teenage sensation, will be hoping to pull off another miracle win matching her US Open win, this week in Australia.
The Canadian-born star beat American Sloane Stephens in an up and down match to move to round two.
It took only 17 minutes for her to sail through set one by winning 6-0.
Raducanu then lost her serve three times in set two.
In the final set, she would battle back to win 6-1.
The 19-year-old will be hoping for an easy run this week, as for the first time in her Grand Slam career, she is seeded.
The 17th seed will now face Danka Kovinic from Montenegro next.
Elsewhere, Dan Evans comfortably won his match 6-4 6-3 6-0 against Belgium’s David Goffin in less than two hours.
The 24th seed, in fine form this season, will meet Arthur Rinderknech of France in the second round.
Luck wasn’t on the side of fellow Brit Liam Broady, as he comprehensively got beat by home favourite Nick Kyrgios.
Kyrgios won 6-4 6-4 6-3 in the John Cain Arena.
In the women’s singles, Heather Watson got her first Grand Slam victory in a year as she battled past Egypt’s Mayar Sherif.
Last week’s win in Adelaide ended a seven-match losing run. This three set win will boost her confidence now even more.
Harriet Dart was unable to overcome 2020 French Open Champion Iga Swiatek in the opening round.
The seventh seed breezed Dart aside by winning 11 games in concession.
Poland’s 20-year-old sensation will be hoping to double her Grand Slam title tally this week.
(Featured Image by Peter Menzel, Wiki Commons)
