ATP roundup: Andy Murray reaches final in Sydney

Field Level Media
15 Jan 2022, 02:19 GMT+10

Former world No. 1 Andy Murray featured his formidable return skills to defeat big-serving Reilly Opelka 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-4 and move on to the final of the Sydney Tennis Classic on Friday.

For Murray, whose past four seasons have been up and down because of a recurring hip injury, it will be his first ATP Tour final since winning the title in Antwerp in 2019. He will be aiming for his 47th tour title.

To reach the final, the Brit had to contend with the serve of Opelka, who fired 20 aces but won only 76 percent of the points on his first serve, compared to 88 percent for Murray.

In the final, Murray will face the tournament's top seed, Russian Aslan Karatsev, who squandered three match points in the second set but survived a three-hour, nine-minute semifinal against Daniel Evans of Great Britain, 6-3, 6-7 (13), 6-3.

Adelaide International 2

Thanasi Kokkinakis outlasted fourth-seeded Marin Cilic of Croatia 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (10) to reach the final in Adelaide, Australia.

Kokkinakis, a home-country favorite, had a 6-2 advantage in the final-set tiebraker but couldn't convert on any of four match points. He then saved two match points to defeat Cilic in a two-hour, 39-minute clash.

A wild-card entry into the tournament, Kokkinakis will be playing in his second career final and seeking his first title. In Saturday's final, he'll meet Arthur Rinderknech, who defeated fellow Frenchman Corentin Moutet 6-1, 6-3 in just 76 minutes.

It will be the first tour final for Rinderknech.

--Field Level Media

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