Australian Open: Murray and Djokovic - icons with an iron will
Andy Murray fights late into the night, Novak Djokovic defies aching thigh problems. The two tennis top stars go over the limit for their title chances.
by tennisnet.com
last edit: Jan 20, 2023, 04:46 pm
Eight hours after the spectacular end of a dramatic night shift, Andy Murray trudged back into Melbourne Park with a smile on his face. Again and again the marathon man with the artificial hip received congratulations after his sensational victory. Boris Becker also congratulated the "Scottish Braveheart" on a "terrific" performance.
It was only at 4:06 a.m. local time that Murray (35) threw his arms up in the air after an unbelievable 5:45 hours of play in the second round. "I want to sleep," Murray said afterwards, criticizing the late start of the night sessions as a "farce". Becker even spoke of "distortion of competition" at Eurosport.
Giving up is not an option for Djokovic
And yet: "Sir Andy" is simply not to be taken down and with his irrepressible fight, his love for the game a huge role model. "Oh what a knight," headlined the Daily Mail. And Novak Djokovic (35) also found the grandiose performance of the British knight, his competitor in the tableau, to be "really inspiring".
The Serb, with 21 Grand Slam titles even more influential than Murray for the tennis scene in recent decades, also needs a big fighter's heart in Melbourne these days. The exceptional athlete from Belgrade is plagued by stubborn thigh problems. But giving up is not an option, he wants to make history and draw level with the injured Grand Slam record champion Rafael Nadal.
Dimitrov is waiting
"The good thing about the Grand Slams is that there is a day off between games," said Djokovic, who after his four-set win against Frenchman Enzo Couacaud now has Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov in front of his chest on Saturday (9 a.m.CET/ Eurosport). If he's operational. "I look from day to day," said the former world number one: "Ultimately it depends on God."
Training between matches is out of the question for Djokovic, who was warmly welcomed a year after his noisy expulsion and is continuing his sensational winning streak despite all the problems. The nine-time tournament winner in the Rod Laver Arena has now achieved 23 successes in a row. Five more will be added this year.
Murray now against Bautista Agut
Murray, the five-time Melbourne finalist, is also continuing to pursue his dream of winning the Yarra River title and showed how much he wants to win against local hero Thanasi Kokkinakis. In 2019, the Briton had already announced his early career end in Australia due to his severe hip problems. Now he ran and slid across the hard court until he defeated Kokkinakis 4-6, 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, 7-5. It was the second longest match at the Australian Open since professional tennis was introduced in 1968. The only longer game in history is the final between Djokovic and Nadal in 2012, which lasted eight minutes longer.
Murray enjoyed the grueling game against Kokkinakis, even as he cursed and looked sullen. "Then I'm the happiest inside," said the three-time Grand Slam champion. Already in the first round he delivered a spectacular five-set thriller against Matteo Berrettini (Italy). Now Murray, the tireless knight with an iron will, meets the Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut on Saturday night.
Here is the men's individual tableau
laver arena