Andy Murray loses Sydney final to Aslan Karatsev
Bid for first ATP title since 2019 ends in straight-set defeat by Russian top seed
Sydney: Andy Murray’s impressive run ended one win short of a 47th career title when he lost the Sydney Tennis Classic final 6-3, 6-3 to top-seeded Aslan Karatsev today.
The 34-year-old Murray started the week with his first win on Australian soil in more than 1,000 days. The three-time major winner progressed through the rounds to reach his first final since 2019.
Karatsev, who reached the Australian Open semifinals last year after going through qualifying for the season-opening major, was just too good.
'I'll keep trying'
“First time back in the finals for three years, it’s been a long road to get back here,” said Murray, a three-time major winner who has slid from No. 1 to No. 135 in the rankings. “I’ll keep trying my best to come back and have more nights like this. Maybe see you next year.”
Murray, a five-time Australian Open finalist, received a wild-card entry for the Sydney tournament and beat Viktor Durasovic and 23rd-ranked Nikoloz Basilashvili, then Reilly Opelka in the semifinals, raising expectations after recurring hip injuries limited him to playing only one of the past four Australian Opens.
Murray won’t have long to recover before he takes on Basilashvili again in the first round of the Australian Open.