Andy Murray credits his 'big heart' for helping him win Thanasi Kokkinakis epic at Australian Open
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Updated 19/01/2023 at 21:23 GMT
Andy Murray came up with another incredible comeback as he rallied from two sets down to beat Thanasi Kokkinakis at the Australian Open. The match finished after 4am in Melbourne and Murray said his "big heart" helped him through. Murray also spoke about his experience in long matches being important, but called the late finish a "farce" and says something needs to change.
‘Disrespectful, ridiculous!’ – Murray slams Australian Open rules as match goes past 3am
Andy Murray said his “big heart” helped him prevail in a stunning comeback win over Thanasi Kokkinakis in the second round of the Australian Open.
Murray, 35, came from two sets down to beat Kokkinakis in an epic match that lasted five hours and 45 minutes, and finished beyond 4am in Melbourne.
It was Murray’s second five-set match of the 2023 Australian Open after he was also pushed the distance by Matteo Berrettini in the first round.
It was also the longest match of his career for the former world No. 1, who came close to retiring at the Australian Open in 2019 and has undergone two hip surgeries in recent years.
“It was unbelievable that I managed to turn that around,” said Murray afterwards.
“Thanasi was serving unbelievable, hitting his forehand huge and I don’t know how I managed to get through it.
“I did start playing better as the match went on and, yeah, I have a big heart.”
Murray will hope to recover in time to face 24th seed Roberto Bautista Agut on Saturday.
Bautista Agut has won the last three meetings between the pair, including in five sets at the 2019 Australian Open when it looked as though Murray’s career might be nearly over.
Asked how he managed to come through another five-set marathon – this one the second longest in Australian Open history - Murray said: “I’ve done it before, I have experience of it.
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Murray v Kokkinakis - Australian Open highlights
“I just rely on that experience, that drive and that fight for the game, competing, my respect for this event and the competition - that’s why I kept going.
“I’m aware I don’t look particularly happy when I’m playing a lot of the time. But that’s when I’m happiest on the inside.
“I’ve always loved competing. I’ve always worn my heat on my sleeve and shown my emotions when I play. I’ve been criticised a lot for it over the years for it but that’s who I am.”
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'It's ridiculous' - Murray wins EPIC point against Kokkinakis
He said afterwards that it was a "farce" and was unfair to everyone involved that it continued into the early hours of the morning.
"I don't know who it's beneficial for. We come here after the match and that's what the discussion is, rather than it being like, 'epic Murray-Kokkinakis match'. It ends in a bit of a farce.
"Amazingly people stayed until the end, and I really appreciate people doing that and creating an atmosphere for us. Some people obviously need to work the following day and everything.
"If my child was a ball kid for a tournament and they're coming home at five in the morning, as a parent, I'm snapping at that. It's not beneficial for them. It's not beneficial for the umpires, the officials. I don't think it's amazing for the fans. It's not good for the players."
"We talk about it all the time, and it's been spoken about for years. But when you start the night matches late and have [cold] conditions like that, these things are going to happen."
Bautista Agut also needed five sets to beat American Brandon Holt in his second-round match.
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