In the opening round of the 2022 Wimbledon tournament, former champion Andy Murray rallied from a set down to beat James Duckworth. After struggling initially on Centre Court, Murray successfully executed his tactical plan to overtake his opponent. The match ended 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in favor of the Briton, who celebrated with a passionate fist pump. Duckworth, who had been recovering from hip surgery since January, played with heart and remained competitive until the end, but Murray ultimately secured the win to advance.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray fought back after dropping a set and rallied to beat James Duckworth in the opening round of Wimbledon 2022. After a slow start on Centre Court, Murray delivered his game plans to great effect to surpass Duckworth. There was a fist pump and an almighty roar after Murray finally defeated the world No.74 Duckworth 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. Duckworth, who underwent hip surgery in January, gave a good fight till the end. Although the resilient Australian put up a fight on Monday evening, it was the British player who advanced into the second round.
Murray's path gets harder on Wednesday as he faces John Isner, the 20th seed. Isner is coming off a hard-fought five-set victory over Enzo Couacaud. Despite Isner's power, the match is highly anticipated because Murray has never lost to the American, maintaining a perfect 8-0 record in their previous encounters.
Watching Murray recover from a clumsy first set was a highlight of the match. He shifted the momentum in his favor, utilizing his full repertoire of skills to dominate, finishing with 35 winners and a low count of 14 unforced errors. As the match progressed, he looked like the version of himself from his prime, effortlessly controlling the court and keeping the Australian guessing with his movement and strategy.
The 35-year-old is currently in great form, having recently reached the final in Stuttgart. His confidence has soared after taking down high-caliber players like Nick Kyrgios and Stefanos Tsitsipas. Additionally, he seems to have completely overcome the stomach strain that had plagued him during his match with Matteo Berrettini.
Once he found his groove with his groundstrokes, Murray blended his signature defensive counter-punching with aggressive charges to the net. Over the course of the two-hour and 43-minute match, the British star fired 15 aces and won 85% of his first-serve points. He kept the game unpredictable, even surprising his opponent with an underarm serve.
The final set remained deadlocked at 4-4, with both men holding their serves comfortably. Duckworth managed to save an initial break point with a bold backhand shot, but a subsequent double fault gave Murray the opening he needed. Seizing the moment, Murray capitalized on the error to close out the match and claim victory.
On the women's side, US Open winner Emma Raducanu secured a straight-sets win over Van Uytvanck, 6-4, 6-4. The British No. 1 was visibly thrilled, jumping for joy after her first-ever match on Centre Court. She is now set to face Caroline Garcia in the next round.