Andy Murray returns to court with comfortable Challenger Tour win over Maximilian Marterer in Italy

AFP via Getty Images
Malik Ouzia @MalikOuzia_9 February 2021

Andy Murray marked his seasonal debut with a three-set victory over Germany’s Maximilian Marterer at a Challenger Tour event in Italy.

Murray, who had not been seen in competitive action since October, was due to be competing at the Australian Open this month, but after testing positive for Covid-19 he was unable to travel and fulfil quarantine requirements Down Under. 

Therefore he headed for the Biella Challenger Indoor in northern Italy where, as top seed and watched by a handful of people at the Palasport Biella, he took two hours and 10 minutes to see off the 25-year-old Marterer 6-7 6-2 6-3.

After the first set went with serve, Murray lost a tie-break due to three errors - a forehand into the net at 4-3 down followed by going long and then wide.

Returning to his chair Murray, in his second Challenger Tour appearance in three years after reaching the quarter-finals in Majorca in 2019 on his comeback from hip surgery, asked the umpire how long the set had taken. The answer he received was "57 minutes".

He stepped things up to win his first break of serve at the fourth time of asking to go 2-1 up in the second set and, after another break, he closed out the set 6-2 with a couple of aces.

Additional reporting by PA.

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