Andy Murray faces Taro Daniel at Indian Wells Masters
Tennis superstar Andy Murray will be playing his first tournament back with legendary coach Ivan Lendl at the Indian Wells Masters. Murray, entering the tournament via a wild card, will face qualifier Taro Daniel for the third time this year.
The Japanese player ended Murray’s hopes for a run at the Australian Open where he eliminated the three-time slam champion in the second round. The 34-year-old got his revenge a month later in Doha, where he beat Daniel 6-2 6-2.
It will not be just Brits cheering Murray on this year, as he has pledged to donate all prize money he earns for the rest of 2022 to UNICEF’s campaign for children affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
That means donations will start this week already as the prize money for a first-round loss amounts to over $17,000. If Murray beats Daniel, it climbs to over $30,000. It is difficult to estimate just how much Murray will earn this year as it is entirely results-based, though the 34-year-old’s prize money was over half a million dollars in 2021, so it is sure to be a very generous donation.
If the two-time Wimbledon champion advances to the second round, waiting for him there will be 31st seed Alexander Bublik. Bublik, representing Kazakhstan, is known for his exciting style of play full of flair, definitely making it a match to watch. Murray has won both of their previous meetings, including their first-round clash at Wimbledon 2017, Bublik’s debut on the big stage.
Murray’s potential blockbuster third-round clash with Novak Djokovic is now off as the Serb was forced to withdraw from Indian Wells as he could not enter the United States due to his unvaccinated status. Grigor Dimitrov has taken his place in the draw.
