Australian Open preview and odds: Andy Murray vs Joao Sousa
Published on: 22/01/2016
Australian Open preview and odds: Andy Murray vs Joao Sousa
January 23 2016 19:00pm - Margaret Court Arena
Australian Open - Round 3
Andy Murray is still on course for yet another Australian Open final, having eased past his first two opponents to set up an intriguing third round clash with Portuguese star Joao Sousa.
Murray in devastating form
Andy Murray is on a mission to reach his fifth Australian Open final, and wasted no time in brushing aside big server Sam Groth in the second round. The Scot cruised to a 6-0 6-4 6-1 victory in just 1h 30m to set up an interesting clash with the 32nd-ranked player.
Murray has yet to lose against Sousa but his opponent has never been as high up the rankings as he is right now. In their six previous meetings, the Portuguese player has taken just one set off the British No. 1.
Key stats from Murray`s Round 2 match:
- Points won on first serve: 82%
- Points won on second serve: 69%
- Net points won: 75%
- Unforced errors: 11
- Returns won: 51%
- Break points won: 7 out of 14
Sousa enjoying highest ever ranking
Joao Sousa took more than two and-a-half hours to finish off second round opponent Santiago Giraldo in four sets (6-3 7-5 3-6 6-1) and now faces the current World No. 2 in the third round.
After winning the ATP final in Valencia, the 26-year-old reached a career-high ranking position of 33 and will be keen to build on that success in 2016. After bagging that title in Spain, he took a two month break and came into this tournament with just one competitive match under his belt.
If he is going to challenge Murray, he will need to improve his second serve win ratio, and cut down on his unforced errors.
Key stats from Sousa`s Round 2 match:
- Points won on first serve: 81%
- Points won on second serve: 53%
- Net points won: 70%
- Unforced errors: 41
- Returns won: 42%
- Break points won: 5 out of 18
Betting odds and tips
If Sousa can find his Valencia form, he is capable of taking a set off Murray.
You can back the Scot to win 3-1 at 11/4 with Bet365.
By Neil Morris
Published on: 22/01/2016
Any odds displayed within this preview were correct at the time of publishing (22/01/2016 17:40:47) but are subject to change.
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