Andy Murray comes from behind to beat world No 203 Maximilian Marterer on his return to action in Challenger Tour event in Italy… after three-time major winner was forced to sit out Australian Open due to positive Covid test
- Andy Murray was in action at the ATP Challenger Biella in Italy on Tuesday
- Murray lost a first set tie break to Maximilian Marterer before recovering well
- Former world No 1 was forced to miss Australian Open after contracting Covid
- He was not granted any special quarantine dispensation in order to compete
Andy Murray marked his return to competitive action on the court with a comeback victory over world No 203 Maximilian Marterer at an ATP Challenger event in Italy.
The former world No 1 was back in action for the first time since last October after being forced to miss the Australian Open having tested positive for Covid-19 last month.
Having run out of time to compete due to quarantine rules Down Under, Murray chose to make his latest comeback from injury some 10,000 miles away from Melbourne at in obscure indoor tournament in Biella northern Italy.
Andy Murray returned to action in an ATP Challenger Tournament in Italy on Tuesday
The former world No 1 was facing German world No 203 Maximilian Marterer in Biella
He could be forgiven some rustiness as he dropped the opening set on a tie break to his German opponent, before roaring back to claim a 6-7, 6-2 6-3 victory, sealing the win with a trademark backhand lob.
Murray had missed the end of last season due to a lingering pelvic problem following disappointing straight-set defeats by Felix Auger-Aliassime and Stan Wawrinka at the US and French Opens in the autumn.
The 33-year-old admitted he was ‘devastated’ after the door slammed shut on his hopes of playing in the Australian Open last month.
Having tested positive for Covid, which he blames on lax protocols at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton, he ran out of time to compete after being told that there could be no special quarantine dispensation, despite having completed his self-isolation at home.
The tournament made efforts to find a compromise for its five-times finalist. But health authorities decided he would need to go into full lockdown for two weeks after arriving ahead of the February 8 start.
Murray was in action in a Challenger event after being forced to miss the Australian Open
The 33-year-old takes a breather during a changeover in his first match in four months
Murray said: ‘Gutted to share that I won’t be flying out to Australia to compete at the Australian Open.
‘We’ve been in constant dialogue with Tennis Australia to try to find a solution which would allow some form of workable quarantine but we couldn’t make it work.
‘I want to thank everyone there for their efforts, I’m devastated not to be playing out in Australia — it’s a country and tournament that I love.’