Australian Open 2023 results: Andy Murray stuns Matteo Berrettini, Dan Evans beats Facundo Bagnis

Britain’s Andy Murray produced one of his best performances in recent years to hold off Italian 13th seed Matteo Berrettini and win a five-set thriller in the Australian Open first round.

Murray, who thought hip surgery in 2019 would end his career, saved a match point at 5-4 in the decider.

Dan Evans is also through after beating Argentina’s Facundo Bagnis.

Evans, seeded 25th, won 6-4 4-6 6-4 6-4 in a first-round match that was delayed for three hours because of extreme heat in Melbourne.

Former world number one Murray later ensured four Britons would play in the second round – after Emma Raducanu and Cameron Norrie won on Monday – with a memorable victory over last year’s semi-finalist Berrettini.

It was Murray’s first victory over a top-20 opponent at a Grand Slam since 2017.

The three-time major champion will play Italian veteran Fabio Fognini or Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis in the second round on Thursday.

Evans, 32, will play French veteran Jeremy Chardy in the second round.

The British number two had taken a two-sets-to-one lead when the players were taken off court as temperatures topped 35C at Melbourne Park.

Cooler conditions when they returned at 5pm local time – after a three-hour break – helped Evans wrap up a 6-4 4-6 6-4 6-4 win.

More to follow.