Andy Murray suffered a painful straight-sets defeat to Tomas Etcheverry in Melbourne at the Australian Open.

Five-time Australian Open finalist Andy Murray suffered a painful opening-round exit to 30th seed Tomas Etcheverry, marking one of the most challenging Grand Slam exits since his return from hip problems. The 36-year-old Scot faced a humbling straight-sets defeat at the hands of Etcheverry, laboring on Kia Arena during the two-hour and 23-minute match. This loss, only his second opening-round defeat at a Grand Slam in 16 years, marks a departure from his previous glory days.

The match was characterized by long baseline rallies, with Murray initially dropping serve in the opening game, only to break back immediately. Despite having a chance to move 4-2 ahead, a missed lob proved costly. Murray faced challenges with his serve, as his first delivery proved unreliable and his second offered opportunities for Etcheverry to take control of the rallies. The Argentinian, a quarter-finalist at the French Open last year, capitalized on Murray’s vulnerabilities, making fewer mistakes from the baseline and breaking Murray’s resistance early in the second set.

Murray’s efforts to mount a comeback were met with resistance, as Etcheverry broke serve again to lead 3-2 in the third set, ultimately securing victory. This defeat marks Murray’s fourth in a row dating back to October, with the Scot having lost seven of his last eight matches, marking the worst run of his career. We will continue to bring you live scores, reports, analysis, and features from Melbourne over the next fortnight, covering the latest developments and highlights of the Australian Open.