Andy Murray, where do you start?
In perhaps the most riveting storyline of this year’s Australian Open, Sir Andy Murray is alive and kicking – how he did it, nobody knows. What began as a sprint to the finish line by Thanasi Kokkinakis, turned into an endless marathon. The Scotsman huffed and puffed, and overcame tired limbs. It is a poignant reminder we won’t see a lot of Murray in the foreseeable future on the tennis court, but his sensational five-set win on Thursday is worthy of its own memorabilia inside Melbourne Park.
Andy Murray Beats Kokkinakis in a five-hour, 45-minute epic
Less than 48 hours earlier, Murray looked on course to defeat Matteo Berrettini in straight sets in a blockbuster opening-round match. But he was pegged back and had to save a match point deep in the fifth before completing the upset win.
Not many people gave him a chance to record back-to-back wins, especially with his fitness record in mind. But Murray blew our minds. He produced the extraordinary. Murray had never scaled the second-round hurdle at the Australian Open in six years.
From two sets to love down and seemingly out of the tournament, he was the embodiment of grit and perseverance.
Kokknakis threw everything in Murray’s way including the kitchen sink. The Australian crowd rallied behind their warrior, who is nine years Murray’s junior, to deliver one knockout blow. Murray trailed 4-6 6-7 3-5, but he won 4-6 6-7 7-6 6-3 7-5 in five hours and 45 minutes–the longest match of his career, and possibly the longest he will ever play in his lifetime.
Four years ago, we all thought we witnessed Andy Murray’s retirement match when he lost to Roberto Bautista Agut in that nail-biting, emotionally-intoxicating first-round match. Fast forward to 2023, Murray with a surgically-repaired hip, is about to fight for a place in the second week of the Australian Open.
The match fell short by just a few minutes from the record of the latest finish at the Australian Open – the third-round dogfight between Lleyton Hewitt and Marcos Baghdatis in 2008 which ended at 04:34 in the morning.
Murray admits experience key in fighting back
Following his stonking win over Kokkinakis, Murray said, “I did start playing better as the match went on and yeah, I have a big heart. I have done it before (coming from two sets to love down), I have experience of it and rely on that experience, that drive, and that fight. My love for the game and my respect for this event and that’s why I kept going.”
Reaction to Andy Murray’s win
It was mayhem at times. The Australian Open Twitter page called it madness. And who could argue? It was the sort of drama that is not replicated regularly.
ANDY. MURRAY. 🤯
Madness in Melbourne!@andy_murray • @wwos • @espn • @eurosport • @wowowtennis • #AusOpen • #AO2023 pic.twitter.com/NaHx1FkJnu
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 19, 2023
One fan called for Andy Murray to be knighted a second time.
Can you get knighted twice??!!
That was absolutely astonishing – the word ‘heart’ doesn’t do it justice. The guy is a machine!@andy_murray #AusOpen #bbctennis https://t.co/3coUXSzs2U— Owen Houlihan (@OwenHoulihan) January 19, 2023
We can’t say we disagree.
Main Photo from Getty.
