ANDY Murray admitted the window on his career is closing and that a meek loss to Tomas Martin Etcheverry may have been his last Australian Open match.
The five-time finalist was outplayed in a 6-4 6-2 6-2 defeat that was a far cry from his glory days and he looked emotional as he gave a lingering wave to all sides of Kia Arena.
It was Murray’s second opening-round loss at Melbourne Park in the last 16 years, with the other coming five years ago against Roberto Bautista Agut after the Scot had revealed hip problems could mean the end of his career.
Surgery and a gruelling recovery process has given him a commendable post-script, but Murray did not dispute that this much more low-key exit could signal his final goodbye.
He said: “It’s a definite possibility that will be the last time I play here because of how the match went. While you’re playing the match, you’re obviously trying to control your emotions, focus on the points.
This story is from the January 16, 2024 edition of The Herald.
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This story is from the January 16, 2024 edition of The Herald.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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