MX23RW : Saturday, April 27 14:37:43| >> :600:126210054:126210054:

Andy Murray wins opening match of virtual Madrid Open against Benoit Paire

Andy Murray wins opening match of virtual Madrid Open against Benoit Paire
© Reuters
Andy Murray kicked off the Mutua Madrid Open Virtual Pro with a 3-1 victory over Benoit Paire.

Andy Murray put his all into the virtual Madrid Open as he kicked off the competition with a comprehensive win.

Organisers of the Spanish tournament set up a PlayStation alternative after the coronavirus pandemic forced its postponement.

Murray kicked off the Mutua Madrid Open Virtual Pro with a 3-1 victory over Benoit Paire, with his gaming skills as evident as his usual will to win.

The Scot at times chastised his virtual self, shouting: "Why am I playing to your backhand?" after losing a point. And, after breaking the Frenchman's serve, he launched into a thunderous cry of "That's the one, come on!"

Murray declared "my hands are sweaty" before prevailing in the Tennis World Tour game, his first in a four-team group which also contains Rafael Nadal, who also won his opener.

Fellow Briton Johanna Konta was not nearly so successful in her first match, winning only one point in a 3-0 defeat by Romania's Sorana Cirstea.

But Konta got to grips with the game before her second encounter, beating Victoria Azarenka 4-2 to keep her group hopes alive.

The four-day charity initiative will donate 50,000 euros (£43,592) to the Madrid Food Bank to help reduce the social impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The winner of each tournament will get 150,000 euros (about £130,000) from which they will be able to decide how much they donate to their colleagues on the tour who have been worst affected by the suspension of play.

ID:397800: cacheID:397800:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:3509:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Switzerland's Roger Federer celebrates winning his match against Tennys Sandgren on January 28, 2020
Read Next:
Roger Federer calls for tennis governing bodies to merge
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!