Andy Murray set to play Erste Bank Open in Vienna
Andy Murray is scheduled to play fifth-seed Hubert Hurkacz later this afternoon in the first round of the Erste Bank Open in Vienna.
The 34-year-old is continuing his European indoors swing after playing in Antwerp last week, where he earned a win in a three-tiebreak drama over Frances Tiafoe before bowing out to eventual finalist Diego Schwartzman in the second round.
The Scot is definitely an underdog in his opener, as he is only entering the tournament thanks to a wild card from the organisers. Murray’s current ranking of 156 would not even allow him to enter qualifying in Vienna. His opponent, a 24-year-old Pole on the rise, has recently broken through to the Top 10 in the rankings for the first time. Hurkacz is enjoying the best season of his career so far, winning the Masters 1000 in Miami and reaching the semi-finals of Wimbledon, as well as a couple of smaller titles in Delray Beach and Metz.
Hurkacz has also won both of their previous meetings, defeating Murray in Cincinnati and Metz earlier this year, both times with the same scoreline– 7-6(4) 6-3. The Pole is a strong favourite entering this match, though
Though the draw is difficult for the former World No. 1, Murray’s only title since his hip resurfacing surgery has come on indoor hard courts and the Scot is a two-time champion at Vienna, winning the tournament in 2014 and 2016.
He might not be among the favourites this week, but Murray has proven that even at this point in his career, he can go toe-to-toe with younger, higher-ranked opponents, so it certainly isn’t impossible for the Scot to leave Vienna a champion once again.
