How about this for an opener? Andy Murray and Alexander Zverev, two of the world’s best tennis players, will collide in a mouth-watering first-round clash at Melbourne Park tomorrow. Fresh from leading Britain to a long-awaited Davis Cup title, Murray is looking to add the Australian Open silverware to his already glittering collection. He will have his work cut out for him, however, against Zverev, who is considered to be one of the sport’s rising stars.
Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this round-of-128 matchup. While you’re at it, you can check out our first-round previews of Hewitt vs. Duckworth and Sock vs. Fritz.
[sc:AUS15-250 ]Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. That has been the theme of Andy Murray’s career in the Australian Open thus far. The British star has finished as runner-up Down Under on four separate occasions, losing the 2010 final to Roger Federer before coming up short against world no. 1 Novak Djokovic in 2011, 2013 and 2015. Murray has been a model of consistency here in the Australian Open with the second-ranked Scot reaching the quarterfinals in his last six appearances.
Murray will look for a much happier ending this time around as he opens his campaign against talented teenager Alexander Zverev. Although Murray and Zverev have never faced each other in tournament play, they did lock horns at the recent Hopman Cup. Murray scored a convincing 6-3, 6-4 victory over Zverev in Great Britain’s defeat of Germany.
Murray is 7-3 in his last 10 matches.
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Betting on Alexander Zverev
If there’s one player in the field who can cause a major shock in the first round of the Australian Open, it’s got to be Alexander Zverev. The German teenager finished last season as the youngest player in the top 100 with Zverev winning 14 of his 18 career ATP-level matches. Zverev, who is currently ranked 83rd in the world, showed he can hang with the big boys, beating world no. 12 Kevin Anderson in Washington last year.
He will have his work cut out for him, however, against the highly-experienced Andy Murray. The British no. 1 is a two-time Grand Slam champion, winning the US Open in 2012 and Wimbledon in 2013. Zverev, on the other hand, has never progressed past the second round of a Grand Slam tournament. That being said, Zverev is no stranger to the big occasion here in Australia. He won the Australian Open junior boys’ title two years ago.
Zverev is 3-7 in his last 10 matches.
Writer’s Prediction
Murray (-4,000) eases past Zverev in straight sets.
