Andy Murray So Happy After Edging Five-Set Thriller in Melbourne
Australian Open
January 18, 2022
Andy Murray savoured the moment with every gesture and expression.
Palms raised to the sky, eyes closed almost in supplication.
A deep run at the Australian Open is what he craves right now.
Japanese qualifier Taro Daniel comes next after a well-earned rest. The Brit will fancy his chances but take nothing for granted.
It’s all part of a bigger picture for the two-time Wimbledon champion, of course.
Andy Murray going even deeper at Wimbledon 2022 would bring the house down!
That’s what he is working towards with every victory this year.
But the fist-pumps and smiles in Melbourne told us he had fulfilled his first dream already.
On John Cain Arena, the very court where he thought for some time he had played the last match of an illustrious career back in 2019.
Now he is well and truly back in the big-time after taking down Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4.
He loved the warm applause, he cherished every moment as he stood centre-stage.
It took the popular Brit three hours and 52 minutes to get the job done. He relished every act of this unpredictable drama.
The happy ending was a fitting reward for all the sweat and tears since the Aussie Open organisers put together a farewell montage here and consigned Andy to history three long years ago.
‘It’s amazing,’ Murray said after this victory. ‘It’s been a tough three years and a lot of work to get back here on this court, where I thought potentially I had played my last match. It doesn’t get any better.’
He already knew from their Sydney epic that Basilashvili wouldn’t be easy. ‘He hits huge from the back and I had to do a lot of running. But I managed to get over the line,’ Andy observed.
You could see the delight in his eyes. ‘Look, we train and practise to allow us to play on courts like this. You’ve created an unbelievable atmosphere and I’m so happy.’
The Scots and Australians were always on his side. The twists and turns of the contest weren’t always so kind.
After trading early sets, it was the third that became absolutely brutal. The middle games were so punishing that you wondered what Murray would have left. He had edged ahead but at what price?
The answer came when the gritty 34-year-old embraced the painful intensity of battle once more and held his own defiantly.
In fact at times Andy looked to be heading towards an impressive win in four sets.
But the Georgian clung on stubbornly, then came out fighting in the breaker and drew first blood.
Unforced errors from Andy cast fresh doubt on the final result as we realised this fight was going the distance.
A determined Murray was 3-0 and 4-1 up in the decider. But the 21st seed kept hitting big and fought his way back to parity.
Crucially it was the Scot who stayed strongest when it mattered. And Basilashvili’s high-risk game finally proved to be his undoing.
What a morning back in Britain after Dan Evans and Heather Watson also won through!
In Melbourne, Andy Murray could look ahead with excitement. ‘I want to keep improving here, there are things I can do better. I’d love to have a deep run if possible. I’ve not had one in a Grand Slam since I came back and I’d love to have one here.’
Don’t worry Andy! If it doesn’t happen at the Australian Open, we feel confident that it will happen at home later in the year.
Andy Murray playing momentous matches at Wimbledon 2022. That’s what we really want!
And those unforgettable Centre Court scenes are just months away.
Getting excited already? We are!
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