Murray to face convicted drug cheat Karol Beck in Australian Open
By ANIMonday, January 17, 2011
MELBOURNE - British tennis star Andy Murray will kick off his Australian Open campaign against convicted drug cheat Karol Beck on Tuesday.
Beck was banned for two years after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs during a 2005 Davis Cup match.
It will be the first encounter between Murray and Beck, who is currently ranked 104 but reached a high of 36 before the ban kicked in.
“I’ve never played him. He had a problem with drugs a few years ago. Before that he was solid. He’s a tough player and he’s talented. So I’ll have to be switched on for that,” the Sun quoted Murray, as saying.
“I’ve never practised with him or played him in a match either, so it will be a bit like taking on the unknown,” he added.
On the other hand, Beck believes that his flat ground strokes can catch Murray out.
“He is moving really well so it [will be] hard to make a winner. I know about him because I saw him on TV, so maybe I could surprise him with my game. I play pretty flat so he could have some problems with this,” Beck said. (ANI)
