Skip to content

Valencia Open: Andy Murray set to face Jurgen Melzer

Image: Jurgen Melzer: Veteran on the slide in the world rankings

Andy Murray launches his Valencia Open campaign this afternoon against Austrian journeyman Jurgen Melzer, live on Sky Sports 3.

Murray currently occupies the eighth and final spot in the race to qualify for the ATP World Tour Finals and he needs a big week in Spain to keep him in the running for the London tournament.

The veteran Melzer should not delay Murray long – the 33-year-old is not the player he was, and is currently down at 121 in the world rankings after a wretched year.

Three years ago, Melzer was ranked as high as number eight in the world but he has been in freefall since, failing to make it beyond the second round of any event since s-Hertogenbosch in June.

The left-hander has had six cracks at Murray over the years, and has never won. Their most recent meeting was at the Rome Masters in May, where he had his best results of 2014. There he beat Marin Cilic and John Isner, before falling to Murray 7-6 6-4.

Tough customer

Melzer is a tough customer. He will dig in, and scrap for every point. He’s a crafty all-court player too, whose favourite shot is a chipped drop-shot off his backhand, so Murray can expect some scampering around the court.

But anything other than a straightforward, straight-sets victory for Murray would constitute a massive surprise.

Tomas Berdych, another in the scrap for a place in London, opens proceedings against Spain’s Pablo Andujar, with Murray’s match scheduled to follow.

After Murray, David Ferrer takes on Andrea Seppi of Italy. Murray and Ferrer are seeded to meet in the semi-finals, which would be a huge match as far as the Race for London is concerned. Murray beat Ferrer in the Vienna final on Sunday, but the Spaniard got the better of the Scot in Shanghai earlier this month.

Murray is just 110 points ahead of ninth-placed Ferrer in the Race for London standings and he would fall behind ‘the Little Mosquito’ if he loses.

Watch Murray v Melzer live on Sky Sports 3. Coverage of Day 3 of the Valencia Open begins at 11am.

Around Sky