Britain’s Andy Murray and Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis faced each other for more than 5 1/2 hours at the Australian open in a second-round match, with Murray emerging victorious with a 4-6, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5), 6-3, 7-5 win that ended at just past 4 a.m. The 35-year-old Murray and 26-year-old Kokkinakis began playing on Thursday before finishing on Friday at Margaret Court Arena.
The match was the second consecutive five-setter this week for the three-time major champion Murray, who eliminated No. 13 seed Matteo Berrettini on Tuesday. Kokkinakis, who is ranked 159th and has never been past the third round at a Grand Slam tournament.
Murray told reporters: “The match was obviously very up and down. There was frustration in there. There was tension. There was excitement and all of that stuff. I mean, look, it is obviously amazing to win the match .. but I also want to go to bed now. It’s great. But I want to sleep.”
Murray will next face No. 24 seed Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain in the third round of the 2023 Australian Open on Saturday, January 21. Bautista Agut defeated Murray at the 2019 Australian Open.
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