Andy Murray defeats Thanasi Kokkinakis in five-set Melbourne epic

MELBOURNE: Former world number one Andy Murray produced one of his greatest ever comebacks to sink home hope Thanasi Kokkinakis in a titanic second-round thriller at the Australian Open in the early hours of Friday morning.

The 35-year-old Scot looked down and out against an inspired Kokkinakis as he trailed by two sets and 2-5 but displayed his trademark warrior spirit to somehow claw out a 4-6, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5), 6-3, 7-5 victory after five hours and 45 minutes.

When Murray finally got the job done in what was his 250th Grand Slam match, the clock was just past 4.05am local time but a sizeable and vociferous crowd had remained glued to their seats inside the Margaret Court Arena.

It was another stupendous effort from the three-time Grand Slam champion whose career has been littered by such battles and who has stubbornly refused to call it a day since having a partly metal hip inserted in 2019.

Bizarrely, he will now play Roberto Bautista Agut, the man who beat him at the 2019 Australian Open, after which Murray's career appeared to be over because of the hip condition.

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