Andy Murray defeated Alexander Zverev to storm into the quarter-finals of the Qatar Open. Murray said that he just managed to stay strong against a “great competitor” Zverev.
New Delhi ,UPDATED: Feb 23, 2023 19:35 IST
Andy Murray stormed into the Qatar Open quarter-finals. (Reuters Photo)
By India Today Sports Desk: Andy Murray said that he managed to stay strong as he defeated Alexander Zverev to storm into the Qatar Open quarter-finals.
Murray secured a 7-6 (7-5), 2-6, 7-5 win in a three-hour contest in Doha. The former world number one said that he kept on fighting till the end.
“I managed to stay strong, keep fighting and get the break at the end,” said Murray, who will face French qualifier Alexandre Muller in the quarter-final after the match.
“I would like to win the matches quicker but Alex is a top player and a great competitor, who always fights until the end. In the third set I was hanging on and he was making better chances.”
“It makes a big difference for the players when we come and get a lot of energy and a great atmosphere from the crowd. Hopefully that continues the rest of the week, but I obviously enjoyed playing in that atmosphere tonight.”
Elsewhere, Britain’s No.1 Cameron Norrie reached the quarter-finals of the Rio Open in Brazil after defeating Brazil’s Thiago Monteiro 7-5, 7-5. Norrie produced 21 break points in a two-and-a-half-hour battle.
“It was a great match,” Norrie said post-match. “I had a lot of opportunities in that first set and I could have been a lot more comfortable but he fought back strong and played really well in the bigger moments and served really well. Credit to him, but I was able to tough out the end of the sets.
“I was really hitting my backhand line really well and it made it difficult for him when he was trying to cheat over on his forehand,” Norrie added while discussing the lefty versus left rallies.
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