"I felt physically better today than I did the other day, which is a positive thing - but finishing at 4am is not ideal," the former world number one said. Two days later, the Scot did it again with a comeback that ranks as simply extraordinary, even by his standards.Īmid the high of beating Berrettini, Murray cautiously spoke about the impact the five-set thriller would have on his body - a combination of his advancing years and the strain caused by his implanted metal hip - before he faced 26-year-old Australian Kokkinakis. ![]() Murray has regularly defied the odds since coming back from the hip surgery in 2019 which he thought would end his career - including in his first-round victory over Italian 13th seed Matteo Berrettini on Tuesday. It was the longest match of Murray's career, surpassing his Davis Cup contest with Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro in 2016 Murray produces a comeback extraordinary even by his standards Norrie, seeded 11th, is hoping to progress further on Friday when he plays Czech youngster Jiri Lehecka not before 04:30 GMT. Murray is the third Briton to reach the third round at Melbourne Park this year, following Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans into the last 32. "It's amazing to win the match but I also want to go to bed now. "The match was very up and down, there was frustration, tension, excitement, all that stuff," Murray, ranked 66th in the world, said. The match is the second-latest finish in Australian Open history after a 2008 third-round match between Lleyton Hewitt and Marcos Baghdatis that ended at 04:34. With his proud mum Judy looking close to tears in the stands, Murray then let out a series of huge roars as he celebrated one of the best comebacks of his career.Ī healthy and boisterous crowd stayed inside Margaret Court Arena until the end, showing their appreciation for the efforts of both men and providing much-needed vocal support. ![]() The exhausted Briton remained calm after taking his first match point with a confident backhand down the line, sighing heavily before the two players enjoyed a warm embrace at the net. Reaction to Murray's late-night victory over Kokkinakis.'A farce' - Murray on 4am finish to match. ![]() It was the longest contest in 35-year-old Murray's eventful career. The second-round match started at 22:20 and lasted five hours 45 minutes.
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