MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Five years and five long sets later, five-time Australian Open runner-up Andy Murray finally has won another match at the season-opening Grand Slam tournament.
The former No. 1-ranked Murray, playing thanks to a wild-card invitation as he continues his career comeback from hip operations and thoughts of retirement, beat 21st-seeded Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-4 on Tuesday to reach the second round at Melbourne Park.
He lost a five-setter in the first round in 2019 — a match he, and everyone else, thought might have been his last in Australia — after missing the 2018 edition with an injury. He missed the 2020 tournament with a pelvic injury and last year’s event because of COVID-19.
“It’s been a tough three, four years. Put in a lot of work to get back here,” Murray said in his post-match TV interview at John Cain Arena, which was formerly known as Hisense and is parochially referred to as the People’s Court. “I’ve played on this court many times, the atmosphere is incredible. This is the one where I thought I’d played my last.
“Amazing to be back, winning a five-set battle like that. Couldn’t ask for more.”
Murray beat Basilashvili in a three-hour three-setter last week in Sydney, where he reached the final of the tuneup tournament. This one went almost four hours.
When the 34-year-old Murray clinched it win on his third match point, he turned to the back of the court, closed his eyes and pumped his fists to celebrate.
After walking over to his courtside chair and dropping his racket, he returned to the court, punched the air and yelled “Let’s go!”
It was Murray’s 49th win in an Australian Open singles match, moving him ahead of Andre Agassi and Ivan Lendl into fifth-place all-time. According to the International Tennis Federation, it’s the most match wins at a Grand Slam tournament without winning the title, surpassing Lendl’s 48 at Wimbledon.
Regardless, match win No. 50 in Australia is the immediate priority. He next plays Taro Daniel, a qualifier from Japan.
“I think there’s things in my game I can do better,” said Murray, who lost the 2010 final to Roger Federer and four others to Novak Djokovic. “Would love to have a deep run here, if possible.
“It’s something I’ve not had in one of the Slams since I’ve come back from the injury, and it’s something that’s motivating me.”
Murray’s wasn’t the only dramatic five-setter that finished in the early evening on Day 2.
Ninth-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime fended off Emil Ruusuvuori 6-4, 0-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, and Maxime Cressy overcame 20 double-faults to upset fellow American and No. 22-seeded John Isner 7-6 (2), 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-7 (4), 6-4.
Second-seeded Daniil Medvedev, one of the biggest potential beneficiaries of Djokovic’s deportation, had a much more routine first round.
