Andy Murray wins his opening match at what is expected to be his last Indian Wells. Nadal is out
Andy Murray, of Britain, hits a return to David Goffin, of Belgium, during their match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Wednesday, March 6, 2024, in Indian Wells, Calif. Credit: AP/Mark J. Terrill
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Andy Murray began what is expected to be his final appearance at the BNP Paribas Open with a smooth performance and a straightforward victory, beating David Goffin 6-3, 6-2 on Day 1 in the desert Wednesday.
The biggest news happened away from the court: 22-time major champion Rafael Nadal withdrew a day before he was scheduled to play his first-round match. Indian Wells was supposed to mark his return to action after being sidelined since January because of a torn muscle near his surgically repaired hip.
Murray, a three-time Grand Slam champion and former No. 1-ranked player now at No. 61, never faced a break point while grabbing a trio of Goffin's service games. From 3-all at the start, Murray surged ahead by winning the last three games and 10 points of the opening set on a cloudy afternoon with winds topping 10 mph (15 kph).
That later gave way to heavy rain that caused a lengthy delay in the evening. Eventually all matches were suspended for the day, including 43-year-old Venus Williams' first contest in about six months. The seven-time major champion, who hadn't played since a first-round loss at the U.S. Open in late August, played just two games against Nao Hibino before they stopped at 1-all.
Murray is a 36-year-old from Scotland with an artificial hip. He improved to 8-0 against Goffin, taking all 17 sets they've played against each other.
Murray, the 2009 runner-up at Indian Wells, told reporters last month that he is likely to retire before this season is over, saying: “I don’t plan on playing much past this summer.”
He entered Wednesday with a 2-6 mark this year. He moved into a second-round meeting with No. 5 Andrey Rublev, who was defaulted from a match last week for screaming in the face of a line judge.
Andy Murray, of Britain, serves to David Goffin, of Belgium, during their match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament Wednesday, March 6, 2024, in Indian Wells, Calif. Credit: AP/Mark J. Terrill
Elsewhere on the hard courts in California, wild-card entry Brandon Nakashima won the first tour-level match he’s played this season, defeating 2023 Wimbledon quarterfinalist Chris Eubanks 6-3, 7-6 (3), while other men advancing included Thanasi Kokkinakis and Christopher O’Connell. Winners in the women’s draw included three-time major champion Angelique Kerber, who is back on tour after becoming a mother, along with Tatjana Maria and Marie Bouzkova.
Paula Badosa, the 2021 champion at Indian Wells who received a wild card into this year's field, pulled out because of a long-term back injury — a day after participating with boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas in an exhibition doubles match.
