‘I need a bit more help!’ Andy Murray in jovial form as he beats Durasovic in Sydney

The British star was playing with a smile on his face as he made his bow in Sydney

Andy Murray of Great Britain plays a forehand during the Sydney Classic Tennis match between Viktor Durasovic of Norway and Andy Murray of Great Britain at Ken Rosewall Arena on January 11, 2022 in Sydney, Australia (Panoramic)

Carrie Dunn

January 11, 2022

One of the niggling technical questions of the new tennis season was answered today when former world No 1 Andy Murray revealed all about his new choice of racquet.

It is significantly larger than the racquet he has used throughout his career – and on the Sydney Tennis Classic court after beating Viktor Durasovic 6-3, 6-1 he explained why he’s decided to switch.

“The racquet that I used before has been brilliant for me during my career but it’s a tough racquet to play with,” he said. “If you’re not timing the ball right in the middle of the racquet it doesn’t give you a whole lot of help.

“Now that I’m a little bit older, a little bit slower, I need a bit more help from the racquet! The one I’m using just now is a little bit more forgiving. I’m still getting used to it but it’s feeling better with each match.”

The 34-year-old was on solid form as he dominated his Norwegian opponent – who he also beat in straight sets back in November during the Stockholm Open.

And he surprised the crowd with his revelation: “It’s my first time in Sydney, a beautiful city. I’ve been on the tour for a very long time – it’s nice to come to new places.”

Murray later told journalists about what he still hopes to accomplish on tour, saying: “A short-term [goal] is to try and get to 700 match wins on tour, which I’m hoping I’ll be able to do this year, and I want to try and get to 50 tournament wins. I want to try and have a deep run in one of the majors as well. Hopefully more than one, but that’s what I want to do. So we’ll see how it goes.”

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