Australian Open: Andy Murray, Thanasi Kokkinakis and the big promotion for tennis
Andy Murray and Thanasi Kokkinakis fought the second longest battle in tournament history at the Australian Open 2023. It was only after 4:00 a.m. that the Scottish fighter was the big winner. A night that is not only good for Murray, but also for tennis.
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit: Jan 20, 2023, 07:28 am
You can think what you want of social media. However, they are certainly the place where the collected swarm intelligence manages to find the right words when things are not really easy to put into words. Case in point: the heroic, self-sacrificing attrition that Andy Murray and Thanasi Kokkinakis fought well past 4am under the Melbourne night sky. And the Twitter user Ricky Dimon, who tried to formulate an assessment for this evening.
This just right. "There are no circumstances under which Andy Murray should ever be allowed to resign." Point. Because what the scolding, pushing, but above all fighting Scottish oddball with a metal hip also played in his second appearance at the Australian Open 2023 on the pitch brought, that could not be surpassed in terms of entertainment value.Murray is the incarnate essence of everything that should make an athlete - authentic, entertaining and above all self-sacrificing.No one can play point for point as well as Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal.
Murray proves it to everyone
So again he has shown it to everyone, the shouters who attest that Murray has long since passed his peak, the doubters who are wondering whether it is still worth the effort, but above all himself. He doesn't know how he did it. "It's unbelievable that I was able to turn it around. Thanasi played unbelievably, served unbelievably, I don't know how I managed to get through," said an exhausted but visibly relieved Murray during the on-court interview. At the same time, the Scot longed for his bed After all, the new day was already four hours old when Murray was able to convert his first match point.
Of course, these lines must be an ode to Andy Murray, who was so afflicted and sorely afflicted, but they must also pay tribute to the athlete who played a key part in the special character of this Melbourne night. And who will probably have to struggle for a long time with this defeat in front of a home crowd: Thanasi Kokkinakis. "Fucking sport man," the man from Down Under tweeted on social media minutes after the match ended. Short words, in which a lot of bitterness resonates. In the third set in particular, the 26-year-old should have ended the match when the score was 5: 2. And he deserved this success. If it wasn't for Andy Murray.
Murray joking
There are so many stories that could be told about this match. The story of Andy Murray winning set three, leaving the court clenched for a bathroom break and returning to it only to immediately fist again. The story of the exploited breakball at a score of 6: 4, 7: 6 (4) and 2: 0 for Kokkinakis, when Murray saved his opponent's smashes from sometimes unthinkable positions until his nerves gave out.
And also the history of the on-court interview. "I have a big heart," Murray said just under 15 minutes after 4:00 a.m. local time. So many stayed in the stands to carry the two warriors through this memorable match. They cheered approvingly for Murray. The Scot is breaking national patriotism. The interviewer counters Murray and says "You have big everything" - late at night apparently unaware of the ambiguity. But Murray does, who counters snippy. "I don't think my wife would agree." So is Andy Murray.
The Scot will be in the ring again on Saturday, this time to match the Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut. After just two games, Murray is already on the pitch for well over ten hours. It is to be hoped that the 35-year-old will be able to recover in time. Especially since a meeting with the Spaniard again guarantees an intense duel. But somehow it doesn't matter how Andy Murray's journey ends at the Australian Open. The Scot has already done a lot of advertising for tennis - and, loosely based on Ricky Dimon, he shouldn't stop doing it anytime soon.
laver arena