- Andy Murray advanced at the Australian Open in a thriller, winning the longest match of his career.
- The match took nearly 6 hours and didn't end until after 4:00 am local time in Melbourne.
Andy Murray rallied to win a wild match in the middle of the night and advance to the third round of the Australian Open Thursday.
Murray trailed Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis two sets to none and was down a break in the third before rallying to win the marathon match.
The comeback was sparked by one wild point in the third set.
Kokkinakis, facing a break point to put Murray back on serve in the set, seemingly had the point won and the game back to deuce on five different occasions. Murray made incredible saves on each shot, and the Aussie eventually put a shot into the net.
—#AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 19, 2023
As Murray celebrated by encouraging the crowd to get louder, Kokkinakis slammed his racket into the court.
The match, the longest of Murray's storied career, would go ono for three more hours, lasting nearly six hours (5:45) in all. It didn't end until after 4:00 in the morning, local time in Melbourne.
The length of the match was not only grueling for the 35-year-old Brit, but it also wreaked havoc on Murray's bladder.
After winning the fourth set and leveling the match 2-2, Murray asked if he could use the restroom. The umpire informed him that he could not because he had already used his allotment of trips. Murray complained, calling it "disrespectful" to everybody that he was not allowed to take a break at 3:00 am.
—Rory Flanagan (@Rory_Flanagan) January 19, 2023
Murray will next face 26th-ranked Roberto Bautista in the third round.