Raonic reaches 2nd round at Australian Open

The 35-year-old, seven-time major victor trudged off Rod Laver Arena, waving to the crowd at 1:55 p.m. on the second day of the tournament following a surprising 6-4, 6-2 loss to the No. 47-ranked Konta, a Sydney-born British player who was making her debut in the main draw at the Australian Open after losing twice previously in qualifying.

Fernando Verdasco rallied from a 2-1 deficit to win the last two sets, recovering a break in the fifth as well, claiming a 7-6 (6), 4-6, 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2, only his third victory in 17 matches against his fellow Spanish lefthander.

Andy Murray participated in the Australian Open with the full knowledge that he’s going to pull out if Kim Sears will have an early delivery for their first baby.

Murray called for more transparency as suspicious matches are being investigated, arguing more needs to be done to educate younger players who may be tempted by huge sums of cash.

Certainly in numerous several long exchanges against Zverev on Tuesday, he hit a zone of calm and assurance, playing the sort of disciplined attacking tennis that lifted him to an end-of-season ranking of No2 in the world for the first time.

“I think that certain media is just trying to create a story out of it without any proof”.

“I think it’s not supported by any kind of proof, any evidence, any facts”.

“You have to be proactive and go and speak to the players rather than them reading about it in the newspapers or listening to it on the TV or the radio”, he said.

Unlike Novak Djokovic, who had said early in his career that he was once approached to throw a match in St. Petersburg, Murray insists he was never asked to fix the outcome of a clash at any point in his career. “I would do the same”, he said as quoted on Daily Mail.

“The question mark I have is he’s gone back to Amelie Mauresmo and I was a little surprised that Bjorkman wasn’t going to continue in that partnership as well”, Rusedski said. “I don’t have any news because I’ve just come off the court”.

French Open champion Stan Wawrinka, meanwhile, has countered Andy Murray’s criticism of betting companies sponsoring grand slams. Having enough evidence to prosecute – from what I’ve been told – is very hard.

Murray will have Mauresmo back in his coaches box on Tuesday for the first grand slam since Wimbledon but there will be no Bjorkman after his involvement ended following the Frenchwoman’s return from maternity leave.

No. 3 Garbine Muguruza needed exactly an hour to beat Estonian qualifier Anett Kontaveit 6-0, 6-4.

“Yeah, I had a few problems but, well, I think I’m recovered now”, she said of the foot problem, “so very good”.