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Watch: Andy Murray savagely hits out at critics calling for his retirement after a sensational win over Matteo Berrettini in Miami
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

World No. 62 Andy Murray continues to prove his mettle at the highest level despite his physical struggles. With a rise in calls for his retirement owing to early exits, his opening round win in the 2024 Miami Masters should shut many of the ‘experts’.

Up against Matteo Berrettini, who’s returning from a long injury layoff, Murray was made to work hard for the win. In a battle that lasted two hours and 48 minutes, the Briton eventually finished on top. He won the match 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to record his 30th win at the prestigious event.

Murray joins six-time champ Novak Djokovic and King of Clay Rafael Nadal in the exclusive club of 30 match wins in Miami. Nole leads the tally with 44 wins while the Spaniard sits second with 40 wins. Interestingly, Nadal is yet to win the title in Miami despite reaching five finals.

Following his on-court interview, as is the norm, Murray was asked to write something on the camera. The three-time singles Major winner has been known for his humor and wit and wasted no chance to show it again. After nearly three hours on the court, Murray took a jibe at his critics by sending a cheeky message.

Life in the old dog yet Wrote Murray.

Matteo Berrettini nearly fainted during the match against Andy Murray

With the temperatures soaring high in Miami, Berrettini was seen struggling with the heat. As it happened with Arthur Cazaux earlier this week, the Italian also nearly collapsed while serving in the eighth game of the second set.

He took the support of his racket to avoid crashing on the court. The chair umpire quickly rushed to check on him and the doctor was also called. The play was halted for four minutes but it had a big toll on the World No. 142 for the remainder of the match.

As the match concluded, Murray and Berrettini had a heartwarming exchange on the net. The Briton asked about his well-being and wished him luck on his comeback. The Italian thanked Murray and informed of feeling just a bit sick before giving him a pat on the chest.

Murray will now take on Argentine Tomas Etcheverry for a fourth career meeting. They last met in the first round of the 2024 Australian Open where the Argentine won in straight-sets to take a 2-1 lead in their head-to-head.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

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