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Andy Murray is through to the third round of the 2023 Australian Open and will now take on Roberto Bautista Agut at the Margaret Court Arena on Saturday (January 21).
He beat Thanasi Kokkinakis in a heart-clenching five-set encounter in the second round (4-6, 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 7-5). He also needed five sets to beat Matteo Berrettini in the first round (3-6,3-6,6-4,7-6,6-7).
Against Kokkinakis in round two, Murray won 196 points as compared to the 192 won by his Australian opponent. The match lasted for six long hours, pushing Murray to the brink of an exit from the first Grand Slam of 2023.
The Brit's next opponent, Agut, is also coming off a thrilling five-setter win against Brandon Holt (4-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2).
The main difference in the entire match came down to the winning percentage on the second serve of both players. While it was 63% for the No.24 seed, the American could only win 36% of his second serves.
Agut won a total of 149 points whereas Holt managed to win a total of 134 points. The battle for the ticket to the fourth round between the Brit and the Spaniard will be exciting to witness.
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Andy Murray vs Roberto Bautista Agut: Betting Odds
The former World No.1 has never won the Australian Open and is quite literally running around the court with a metal hip. He is currently ranked 66 in the ATP rankings and this is his 15th appearance at the Australian Open.
Agut is currently ranked 25th in the world and reached a career-high ranking of No.9 in 2019. This is his 12th appearance at the Australian Open and has a personal best of a quarterfinal appearance.
Andy Murray vs Roberto Bautista Agut: Match Details
Fixture: Andy Murray vs Roberto Bautista Agut
Date & Time: Saturday, January 21, 03:00 a.m ET
Venue: Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne Park
Andy Murray vs Roberto Bautista Agut: Betting Prediction
The two players have faced each other six times in the past and share three wins each. They will now battle it out for a place in the fourth round and see who goes ahead with a head-to-head record as well. The crowd will be behind Murray, who is writing his own script at the moment. Expect a thrilling contest as the Spaniard cannot be ruled out so easily.
Final Prediction: Total Over 35.5 (-125)
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