Andy Murray faces a difficult battle with Dominic Thiem at the Madrid Open on Monday evening
(Picture: Getty Images)Andy Murray makes his return to clay-court action with a tough assignment against Dominic Thiem at the Madrid Open this evening.
Murray made a late decision not to skip the red dust portion of the season as he had initially planned, opting instead to get some more tournament matches under his belt as he starts work with Ivan Lendl once again.
The 34-year-old has had success in Madrid before, beating Rafael Nadal in 2015 to lift the trophy before falling short against Novak Djokovic in the 2016 final.
His first-round opponent is Thiem, twice a finalist at the French Open and a player that has reached at least the semi-finals in his last four appearances in Madrid. The Austrian is himself looking to work his way back to form though, after a string of injury problems.
It would be a really impressive win for Murray, in what will be his first match on clay since losing 6-1 6-3 6-2 to Stan Wawrinka at Roland Garros in 2020.
Should he get through it, Denis Shapovalov is a potential second-round opponent, with Djokovic likely waiting after that.
Murray certainly won’t be thinking that far ahead though, as he looks to find some form on a surface that has never been particularly comfortable for him.
Date, venue and UK start time
The round of 64 match between Andy Murray and Dominic Thiem will take place this evening, on Monday, May 2 2022.
The action is scheduled to get underway at approximately 7pm BST.
Denis Shapovalov or Ugo Humbert await the winner in the next round.
How to watch Andy Murray vs Dominic Thiem
TV channel: The match will be broadcast live on the Amazon Prime streaming service.
Live stream: Amazon Prime subscribers will be able to watch the match either on their website or through the app.
Andy Murray vs Dominic Thiem head-to-head record
The pair have met four times before on the ATP Tour, winning two matches each. They have met just once before on clay, however - Thiem won in three sets in Barcelona five years ago.
Murray wins: 2
Thiem wins: 2
