Andy Murray Comes Back From 0-2 Down For Record 11th Time In Australian Open Epic

When it was all over, and the 5-hour, 45-minute epic was complete, Andy Murray let out a huge roar of satisfaction and pride.

“Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!” he exclaimed to the crowd at Margaret Court Arena.

The 35-year-old Murray had just fought off a match point and completed his record 11th comeback from down two sets to prevail over Thanasi Kokkinakis, 4-6, 6-7(4), 7-6(5), 6-3, 7-5 at 4.05 a.m. local time. Murray won the longest match of his career with a two-handed backhand up the line into an open court.

“Thanks so much to everyone for staying,” he said in his on-court interview. “It’s ridiculously late, you didn’t need to do that but it really helps me and Thanasi in a situation like that creating an amazing atmosphere for us so I appreciate that. Everyone, including me, I think should all get off to bed now.”

The matched lasted 345 minutes, just 32 minutes shy of the combined running time of Godfather I and II.

Murray won a five-setter for the second straight match after battling for nearly five hours to upset Matteo Berrettini on Tuesday.

Kokkinakis served for the match at 5-3 in the third set, but the stubborn Murray refused to lose.

“It was unbelievable that I managed to turn that round,” Murray, ranked No. 66 in the world, said. “Thanasi was serving unbelievable and 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.”

He added: “I think now I ride the most matches coming from two sets to love down so I have done it before. I had experience of it, and just rely on that experience and that drive and that fight and my love of the game and competing and my respect for this event and the competition and that’s why I kept going.”

Murray is known for grimacing, making pained faces and yelling at his player’s box throughout his matches, but said that belies an underlying joy and love of the game.

“I’m aware I don’t look particularly happy when I’m playing a lot of the time, but that’s when I’m on my happiest on the inside,” Murray said as the crowd laughed.

“I’ve always loved competing, I’ve always worn my heart on my sleeve and shown my emotions when I’ve played, and I’ve been criticized a lot for it over the years, but that’s who I am.”

Things won’t get any easier for Murray, who next faces No. 24 Roberto Bautista Agut. They are 3-3 all-time, but Bautista Agut beat Murray in five sets in the first round of the 2019 Australian Open.