Andy Murray won the longest match of his career as he battled back from two sets down in the second round of the Australian Open – an epic which lasted five hours and 45 minutes.
The 35-year-old’s victory over Thanasi Kokkinakis finished at 4.05am local time – the third-latest finish to a tennis match ever.
Murray achieved his best result since 2017, forcing a deciding set before finally claiming victory 4-6 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 7-5 in an unforgettable match for tennis fans.
It was the 250th and longest Grand Slam match of his career.
The longest match in history, between American player John Isner and French rival Nicolas Mahut, lasted 11 hours and five minutes.
The first-round match at the 2010 Wimbledon men’s singles tournament featured five sets played over three days and a a 138-point tiebreaker.
The match between Murray and Kokkinakis, at the Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne, saw the Australian launch a scathing rant at the umpire during a crucial moment in the match.
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The 26-year-old received a warning for a time violation just as he was about to toss the ball up to serve during a third deuce in the second game of the third set.
Kokkinakis blamed noises from the crowd for taking so long.
Three-time Grand Slam champion Murray vowed to continue playing after undergoing hip surgery in 2019.
He said of his win: “It’s unbelievable how I managed to turn that around because Thanasi was serving unbelievable and hitting his forehand huge.
“Yeah, I have a big heart. I rely on my love and my drive and my respect for the game, that’s why I kept going.”
He added after the epic battle on court: “Thanks for staying, but now I think we should all get off to bed.”
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Murray has not gone past the third round of a Grand Slam since 2017, when his hip condition came to light.
He will now face Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut, who beat him at the 2019 Australian Open.
Earlier this week, Murray knocked Italian 13th seed Matteo Berrettini out of the tournament, in one of his biggest victories in recent years.
