"Life in the old dog yet" - Andy Murray exults after come-from-behind win over Matteo Berrettini to kickstart Miami Open campaign
Andy Murray scored an impressive come-from-behind win to kickstart his 2024 Miami Open campaign on Wednesday, taking down Matteo Berrettini in three sets. Murray lost the opening set 4-6 against the Italian but clawed his way back to take the next two sets 6-3, 6-4 and seal his spot in the second round.
Murray has been frank about his future in light of his poor form this season so far, even hinting that he might be hanging up his racquet soon. The 36-year-old, at the moment, is not likely to play past this summer by his admission and might have his farewell between Wimbledon and the Paris Olympics.
"I mean, I'm likely not going to play past this summer. I get asked about it after every single match that I play, every single tournament that I play. I'm bored of the question, to be honest."
"Yeah, I'm not going to talk more about that between now and whenever the time comes for me to stop. But yeah, I don't plan on playing much past this summer," Murray had said during the Dubai Tennis Championships.
All that taken into consideration, his Miami win over Berrettini was cause for celebration, as the three-time Grand Slam champion shot off an inspired camera message afterwards.
"Life in the old dog yet," Andy Murray wrote, along with a smiley face.
For those unaware, the idiom is used commonly as a form of praise when speaking about a person who can achieve something despite their advanced age -- a rather fitting phrase of choice for Andy Murray at this point in his career.
Andy Murray to take on Tomas Martin Etcheverry in second round of 2024 Miami Open
Following his win over Matteo Berrettini, Andy Murray will next take on Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the second round of the 2024 Miami Open. The Argentine, seeded No. 29, received a bye in the first round of the Masters 1000 event.
Murray and Etcheverry have met thrice on the ATP Tour so far, with the head-to-head currently 2-1 in favor of the youngster. Etcheverry has prevailed in their last two meetings, including their clash at the Australian Open at the start of this year.
Andy Murray is a two-time former winner in Miami, having won the tournament previously in 2009 and 2013. A win over Etcheverry will pit the former World No. 1 against either fifth seed Andrey Rublev or Tomas Machac in the third round.