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Andy Murray will face a tough test against Aslan Karatsev in the Zhuhai Championships on Saturday.
The three-time Grand Slam winner overcame Ye Cong Mo on Thursday to make the last 16 of the competition, with the Scotsman arriving in China shortly after he helped Great Britain make the quarter-finals of the Davis Cup.
Opponent Karatsev beat Matteo Arnaldi to set up the tie against Murray, and also won in straight sets when the two last met in the final of the 2022 Sydney Tennis Classic.
Here’s everything you need to know:
When is Andy Murray vs Aslan Karatsev?
The second round match between Andy Murray and Aslan Karatsev is third on the center court schedule of the Hengqin International Tennis Center on Saturday 23 September.
Play begins at 6 am BST – with Murray not set to be on the court before at least 10 am.
How can I watch it?
The match isn’t being broadcast on TV, but UK viewers can stream the action on Tennis TV with a premium subscription.
What has Andy Murray said?
Andy Murray has said he wants to finish the year on a high after an inconsistent 2023.
“I would like the year to have gone better for sure,” Murray said.
“There have been some good moments, but also some tough losses as well. It’s been up and down.
“I got up to my highest ranking a few weeks ago since I had the hip operation so that’s positive and shows that although it’s not as fast a trajectory as I would have liked, I’m still going in the right direction.
“I’ve got an opportunity with these last five or six tournaments at the end of the year to have a strong finish, so that’s what I’m hoping for here.”
What are the odds?
Murray is the slight 4/6 favourite to win against Karatsev, with the Russian being offered odds of 6/5 to come out the victor.
Get all the latest tennis betting sites offers here.
Predictions
Aslan Karatsev beat an inform Matteo Arnaldi in his last game, who would’ve been fired up after a strong showing for Italy in the Davis Cup. The Russian also beat Murray the last time they met, but the two have a fairly even overall record this season and the match should be close. It wouldn’t be difficult to imagine Murray winning in three sets, having been pushed all the way by his opponent. Murray to win in three sets.
