Andy Murray edges past Mikhail Kukushkin in the first round – Brisbane International 2012
Top seed, Andy Murray of Great Britain, edged past his Kazakhstani opponent, Mikhail Kukushkin, in the first round encounter of Brisbane International on Tuesday. Both players were squaring off for the first time in their
career and played an intense battle to place the second round berth in the tournament. After fighting for almost two hours and nine minutes, the British number one triumphed with a cumulative score of 5-7, 6-3, 6-2.
With seven wins from his last nine encounters, Murray was the hot favourite to win the encounter but it was exciting to witness the Briton being tested to his limits before confirming his place in the next round draw. Crowd
loved every bit the contest and praised the fight put forth by the 24-years-old Kazakhstani contender. On paper, it was an easy straight set win for world number four, Murray but it turned out to one of the toughest contest of the season opener championship.
Kukushkin started the proceedings in great fashion and stunned everyone with consecutive breaks upfront; he held his respective serves to take 4-0 lead. At the score of 2-5 Murray pulled back one break and then another in
the next alternative serve to level the score at 5-5. To his surprise Kazakhstani contender broke once again for the third time in the set to take the lead and capitalized on it by holding on to his serve to bag the first set.
Conventional start to the second set saw both players holding on to their respective serves in the first three game before Murray came up with an onslaught to break first and take 3-1 lead; he held his serve to enhance the
lead to 4-1. No breaks were seen in the remaining games of the set and set scores were levelled at one set apiece, enforcing a decisive third set into play.
Both players were cautious at the start of the third set and didn’t try to manipulate the proceedings. First four games were held by respective serve players and crowd were at the edge of their seats as they could sense a
major upset. However, Murray silenced all his critics with a vital break in the fifth game that helped him to take the lead. Another break in the seventh game thrashed Kukushkin’s any chances of a comeback and he eventually submitted the set to the top seed
at 2-6.
Victory to Andy Murray inches him one step closer to the season opener championship title; he faces Gilles Muller of Luxembourg in the next round.
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