Andy Murray vs Taro Daniel LIVE: Murray faces a battle to stay in the game as the Japanese qualifier breaks his serve in the second set after claiming the first 6-4

• Andy Murray is back in action in the second round of the Australian Open  
• The five-time runner-up in Melbourne now meets Japan’s Taro Daniel 
• Murray progressed to round two with a five-set win over Nikoloz Basilashvili
• Latest Australian Open news, including live action and results 

Andy Murray is back in action in the Australian Open as he locks horns with Japan’s Taro Daniel for a place in round three.

Murray, a five-time runner-up in Australia, made round two with an epic five-set win over Nikoloz Basilashvili

Follow Sportsmail’s SAM BLITZ for live coverage in the Australian Open second round, including build-up and game-by-game updates.  

Host commentator

The John Cain Arena is really behind Murray now but a dismal, long forehand return is not what they want to see from the Briton. 

Daniel manages to keep his cool and hold and suddenly Murray is serving to stay in the set.

Murray’s got new balls but the same old problems. Another backhand shot up the line crashes into the net. That’s his 28th unforced error of the match so far. That becomes 29 when a baseline forehand hits the net. 

The Briton bounces back and a really flat return makes it 30-30 and then moves to game point. An ace seals a very good comeback hold. The crowd is starting to get on his side. 

Daniel is moving around the court a lot more freely than Murray and that’s so clear to see. The 28-year-old moves 30-0 clear but Murray gives his opponent a reminder of his talents with a backhand winner up the line. 

The Briton then misses yet another volley at the net and that mini-revival comes to an end. Daniel makes him pay with an ace. 

This is getting ridiculous from Daniel. Murray thinks he’s getting back into the game but his Japanese opponent puts the pressure on by playing a lovely forehand up the line to force 30-30. 

Murray misses a backhand and it’s another break point for Daniel. Murray saves it after a brilliant rally and Daniel’s defensive shot bounces just too long. 

But that’s awful from the Briton, who misses a volley at the net and it’s another break point for Daniel. Murray comes back to turn the tables eventually for a massive hold. 

He’s still in this you know… but for how much longer?

Right, this isn’t going to plan for Murray. So if you want to switch allegiances to Emma Raducanu, who is about to start on court against Montenegrin Danka Kovinic, I wouldn’t blame you…

Murray is trying to force the question but Daniel has all the answers, moving around the court with ease to race into a 40-0 lead. 

A brilliant ace down the middle of the court gives him a relatively easy hold to love. The Japanese player, ranked 120 in the world, has clear breathing space between him and Murray. 

Some solid returns from Daniel surprise Murray and, once again, there’s a 15-30 struggle for the Briton. 

Murray starts complaining that a moving overhanging camera is affecting him but another forehand winner earns Daniel two break points. 

And the Japanese qualifier takes his chance to edge ahead in this second set. The 28-year-old breaks Murray once again in the third service game. Andy’s in trouble.

Here comes Murray on the front foot, coming into the net to force 15-15 before a backhand shot up the line from Daniel falls just wide at the back of the court. 

The 28-year-old repeats that unfortunate feat on the next point and that allows two break points for Murray. Can he make this chance count?

No. Two overhead winners from Daniel earn those two break points back. Two more come for Murray but drop shots from the Japanese qualifier frustrate him. 

The Briton tries to stay in the game but an ace from Daniel, followed by another unforced error from Murray, allows the 28-year-old to hold. 

Murray gets off to a good start by racing into a 30-0 lead at the start of this second set but a double fault halts his momentum.

Daniel produces an unforced error of his own to allow 40-15, but the 28-year-old shows his power once again with a cross-court forehand winner. A good serve-and-finish from Murray after a stunning Daniel return means the Briton holds. Good start. 

Murray tries to get on the front foot in this game but a crosscourt backhand clips the top of the net and falls wide of the tramlines. 

But one unforced error on the forehand plus some excellent net play from Daniel earns three set points. Daniel takes the opening set with an ace and is one-third of a major win for him.

It’s a deserved triumph from the Japanese qualifier, who has been equally entertaining and efficient. Murray, meanwhile, has made too many errors – nearly 15 unforced errors on my count. 

Murray’s starting to lose control, especially on his forehand, and slips to 0-30 in this must-win game in the first set. 

Two big serves haul him level before a stunning ace puts him 40-30 ahead. The Briton keeps himself in this set but Daniel is now serving for it. 

Both players change their rackets after seven games lasting nearly 45 minutes, this has been a quality physical contest with both players trying to hit the front foot. 

But it’s the Briton’s racket which is proving to be the better one as he forces 0-30 thanks to a few more unforced errors from Daniel.

And Murray then forces two break points with another strong backhand – which is serving him better than his forehand right now. A wayward baseline shot from Murray gives Daniel one of those points back before the Japanese qualifier saves a second with an overhead shot near the net. 

And here comes Daniel’s forehand, which comes through when it matters to take the game. Big hold from Daniel, massive opportunity missed for Murray. 

Murray wants to step up a gear and get in the groove but Daniel is showing more defensive solidity and forces 15-30 again. 

And that’s a big chance missed. Murray plays an excellent cross-court backhand which opens up the court but he misses an easy forehand chance which slams into the net. 

Two break points for Daniel and Murray nearly throws his racket down in anger. Then comes a double fault and the Japanese qualifier has the break advantage again. 

Another slip in standards from Daniel sees a backhand hit the net and heralds the first ‘Come On!’ of the match from Murray. But the Briton’s forehand lets him down as one shot is too long and another limps into the net.

But back comes Murray – a backhand up the line forces Daniel very deep towards the back of the court for 30-30 before forcing a crucial break point. 

Daniel saves it by forcing Murray into the net but the Briton is too timid with a cross-court volley and the Japanese qualifier makes him pay with a backhand winner. 

Murray senes more blood as a brilliant backhand drop shot forces another break point. An unforced error from Daniel on his backhand brings another ‘Let’s Go!’ from Murray, who is now back in this game. 

That will do Murray’s confidence a bit of good. The Briton hits some big serves to race into a 30-0 lead and then gets a big of luck as a baseline forehand shot hits the net but bounces over. 

The Briton holds to love to remain in this contest, though Daniel was not exerting too much energy in that game. 

Important hold from Daniel, who makes quick work of Murray in his next service game after tiring out the Briton for a quarter of an hour in the last game. 

A double fault at 40-0 represents the first major error from the 28-year-old qualifier so far but it’s been a reasonably faultless start from Daniel so far. 

It’s a deserved break for Daniel, who has made just one unforced error in this match so far. He showed great resilience against some big hitting from Murray. That game lasted around 15 minutes in total and we’ve got a contest here.

Advantage Daniel in this game, who puts pressure on Murray by taking the Briton’s next game to 15-30 but two more big serves from the former world No 1 hauls him back in front. 

But the Japanese qualifier forces deuce with a brilliant backhand shot up the line and Murray can only find the net on the stretch. 

Then a double fault from Murray earns break point to Daniel but there’s another big serve to avoid an early setback. Daniel shows more resilience with a backhand slice up the line earning a second break point, but another big Murray serve saves the Briton – for now. 

But another unforced error from Murray – his sixth of the match – brings another break point for Daniel and another backhand stunner edges the Japanese qualifier in front in this match.

Confident start from Taro Daniel, who comes into the net in his first service game before steaming into 40-0.

An unforced error from Murray levels the scoring in this set. Daniel lets out a yell of ‘Yes’ – clearly happy with his early start. 

Two brilliant unreturned serves to kick off the afternoon for Murray. The John Cain Arena undergoes a few ‘Siuuuu’ chants to annoy the Briton, who found the Cristiano Ronaldo-style chants ‘irritating’ in his first round victory.

The British No 1 then steams into 40-0 with a cross-court backhand winner. Daniel shows his worth with his own forehand winner for 40-15, but another strong serve earns Murray a hold to open this match. 

Off we go. Murray to serve first here at the John Cain Arena. It’s just the second career meeting with Taro Daniel, with the Japanese qualifier aiming to reach round three at a Grand Slam for the first time.

* denotes next server

A reminder that British tennis’ golden girl Emma Raducanu is back in action later today in the Australian Open, as she takes on Montenegrin Danka Kovinic.

The British No 1 was inspired by Murray’s first round heroics before she got past the challenge of Sloane Stephens earlier this week – I wonder if she’ll be watching again today. 

Read Martin Samuel’s verdict on Raducanu and Murray below…

Out comes Murray. The former British and World No 1 is greeted to a rapturous applause in Melbourne as he makes his way on court. 

Both Murray and Daniel were transported to the John Cain Arena via a buggy, that will help the Scot’s hip problems. 

We’ve had our first sight of Andy Murray this afternoon in Melbourne, as the Briton is currently doing his warm-up routine in the tunnel area of the John Cain Arena. 

The Melbourne crowd is filling out here and there are a few Scottish flags on show. Will Murray put on a show for them, or will it be another struggle?

We’re expecting Andy Murray out on court any minute now, so let’s look back more at the Briton’s first-round triumph over Nikoloz Basilashvili. 

Murray will be glad that his recent revival in Australia is going under the radar as the build-up of this year’s Melbourne Grand Slam tournament has been dominated by Novak Djokovic’s visa and vaccine scandal. 

And Sportsmail columnist IAN HERBERT believes Murray is giving the Serbian world No 1 a lesson in grace following his first-round victory…

Back to Murray’s match now, so let’s take a look at the challenge in the former world No 1’s way this afternoon in Melbourne.

Japanese competitor Taro Daniel came through the qualifier and booked his spot in round two with a straight sets victory over Chilean Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera earlier this week. 

Daniel is currently ranked at 120th in the world, seven spots behind five-time Australian Open finalist Murray, and has a career high of 64 in the world back in 2018.

His only ATP victory came in the Istanbul Open four years ago, but the 28-year-old has never reached the third round of any Grand Slam tournament in his career.

Murray has faced Daniel once before in a Davis Cup clash back in 2016, with the Briton comfortably winning 6-1 6-3 6-1 – though a lot has happened since then. 

Right, before we get into Murray’s match – let’s take a look at what happened at the Australian Open overnight.

The big British news is that Dan Evans is through to round three after his second round opponent Arthur Rinderknech of France retired before both players went out on court. 

Evans will now play the winner of ninth seed Felix Auger-Alliasime – a conqueror of Murray in recent Grand Slam tournaments – or Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who are currently locked at one set-all at the moment. 

Read more about Evans’ progression below…

So we may get Andy Murray quicker than we think, as 12th seed Elena Rybakina has retired with an ankle injury, earning China’s Zhang Shuai a spot into round three.

That is the match before Murray’s at the John Cain Arena so we could be expecting the former British No 1 on court any minute now…

Andy Murray’s first round encounter was a familiar face in Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili – who the Scot had faced two times in the last six months, but the world No 22 was a tricky competitor for the 34-year-old. 

But some vintage Murray resilience saw the Scot come through relatively scathed. The Briton led by two sets to one but was forced into a fifth via a tiebreak. 

Murray pulled through 6-4 in the final set to reach the second round in Melbourne for the first time since 2017. 

Here’s Sportsmail’s chief sports writer MARTIN SAMUEL’s match report from Melbourne Park…

Wimbledon may be six months away, but you would forgive Andy Murray for feeling the ‘London Bus’ phenomenon down in Melbourne.

After years of either inactivity or anguish in Australia in recent years, Murray is starting to find his feet Down Under again. The British tennis icon’s Sydney Classic run has now been followed up by a first second round appearance in the Australian Open in five years. So, how far can he go?

The Scot now faces Japanese qualifier Taro Daniel as he looks to book a spot in round three. But a gruelling five-set encounter against Nikoloz Basilashvili may come back to haunt the man with the metal hip.

Play is expected at around 6.30 am (GMT) and we’ll bring you all the updates from Murray’s next game right here…

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