ANDY MURRAY recovered from a match point down to produce a performance of old to knock out No13 seed Matteo Berrettini in what will surely be one of the standout matches of this Australian Open fortnight.
The 35-year-old Scot (right, on his way to victory) had claimed to have worked harder over the winter than ever before in what felt like a final throw of the dice at trying to match the world's best in this second part of his career.
And it paid off with aplomb, as he beat a top-20 player at a Grand Slam for the first time since 2017, an opponent who had reached last year's semi-final and was being talked of as a potential champion.
Whether Murray can now go on the long run he has pledged at a Grand Slam may well rest on how his metal hip and his body recovers from a marathon contest which ran to nearly five hours. In the end, it was the former world No1 celebrating victory, but this could so easily have been Berrettini's win had the Italian not hit the easiest of backhands so limply into the bottom of the net with a match point as Murray served at 4-5.
At a venue where his supporters thought they had bid farewell to him four years ago, Murray again proved there is life in the old dog yet for a 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-7, 7-6 victory.
Bu hikaye Evening Standard dergisinin January 17, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Evening Standard dergisinin January 17, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Only £65k a month to live like Boy George
The Karma Chameleon singer listed his house for £17m in 2022, turning down offers. Now, he's looking for a tenant
Welcome to London, unicorn capital of Europe
We're flying far ahead of anywhere outside US for tech investment
Arteta's Arsenal evolution The next phase
Malik Ouzia and Simon Collings assess how the Spaniard will try to bring down Man City after he signs up for another three years with the title in his sights
Title fight catches fire after Gunners embrace dark side
Arsenal-City clashes take on a welcome edge of animosity
Whack the hippy gong-boho's back
It happened in Paris one grey February day. Sienna Miller was in an oversized, black leather jacket, lace-trimmed silk slip and clumpy great wedges.
There's a Starlink waiting in the sky... 7,000 in fact.Can Elon Musk stop them crashing to Earth?
As he was preparing his fields for seeding this year, Barry Sawchuk came across a giant slab of space debris. It had come from a spacecraft belonging to Elon Musk’s company, SpaceX.
'Politicians are only into power-mongering, corruption and cronyism'
We speak to alt revolutionary DEEPAK CHOPRA about biomarkers, his digital twin and his work to save humanity from disease
I've been waiting for a production of Godotthis brilliant all my life
Ben Whishaw and Lucian Msamati bring a potent, tragicomic chemistry to James Macdonald’s rich revival of Samuel Beckett’s challenging play.
Trust me, the Ritz is London's bestrestaurant
To whom we turn in moments of gloom and glory can be instructive, a filter of our truest friends. I've fallen out with the Ritz a couple of times, including once after a visit to the bar which didn’t warrant a review (“But you said it was lovely!” they said.
'Healing is a dirty word'
After four traumatic years, FKA twigs is back with a new album -and a thrilling metamorphosis
