ATP Qatar Open Sees Murray Magic Strike Again

Andy Murray continued to surprise fans in a show of determination, experience and mental strength, continuing his start of season winning streak with a win over Germany's Alexander Zverev that saw him through to the Qatar Open quarter-finals.

Doha, Qatar - February 20 2023: Andy Murray of Great Britain celebrates his win after his Round of 32 tennis match with Lorenzo Sonego of Italy in the ATP 250 Qatar ExxonMobil Open.

Great Britain’s Andy Murray, aged 35, showed determination despite potentially career-ending hip surgery, to win 7-6 (7-5) 2-6 7-5 against fourth seed Zverev in a nail-biting three-hour match in Doha.
25-year-old German Zverev was beaten by three-time Grand Slam champion Murray in a contest that turned out to be revealing of both men’s abilities and progress, having both suffered serious injuries, neither player being at their peak physical capability.
Snapped ankle ligaments suffered by Zverev in a French Open semi-final against Nadal, handicapped the young German who was unable to serve out at 5-4 with a tight tie-break that swung Murray’s way.
Melbourne had already proved that Murray’s magic could prevail, and that in spite of the odds, mental determination and talent can still override physical disabilities. Murray has been on a winning streak, giving it his all, and often winning by a tight margin, offering up stamina and dramatic comebacks.
According to the BBC, “on Monday, he saved three match points before winning a final-set tie-break to beat Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego in Doha”.
Commenting on the game against Zverev, “I managed to stay strong, keep fighting and get the break at the end,” said Murray, former world number one. He will be up against Frenchman Alexandre Muller next.
Murray’s physical levels dipped and his plummeting service percentage enabled Zverev to break twice and appeared to hold the momentum in the decider.
Zverev, the world number 16 dominated his service games against Murray, ranked 70th, who survived the pressure and surprised fans yet again with his sheer will and skill, finishing his second match point with a backhand across court.
Murray admitted that while glad he won against Zverev, he wishes he could generally win faster. ‘’He always fights right to the end – it’s one of his biggest strengths – so even once I got that tight first set, he kept going for it, and in the third set I was really hanging on” said Murray of his competitor.
For more information on the ATP Qatar Open or to head to watch the semi-finals and finals this weekend, visit: https://www.atptour.com/en/tournaments/doha/451/overview