The Brit appeared down and out against a resilient Kokkinakis, trailing by two sets and 2-5, but somehow clawed out a 4-6, 6-7(4), 7-6(5), 6-3, 7-5 victory after five hours and 45 minutes.
This is now the second-longest match at the Australian Open in the Open Era, falling eight minutes short of the battle between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal in 2012. It was also the longest match of Murray’s career, who now has a win-loss record of 51-14 in the year’s first Grand Slam.
During the match, however, Andy Murray appeared angry when the umpire denied him a toilet break in the fifth set. He sat down after winning the fourth set, calling it a “joke” since the Australian Open tournament rules prevented players from taking a toilet break despite the players playing for more than five hours.
“When you’re sticking on the players 3, 4 in the morning, sometimes there needs to be a little bit of leeway” - Andy Murray
Andy Murray addressed the issue in a post-match press conference after completing his comeback over Kokkinakis. He noted that while he understands the court rules, it’s difficult when players can’t use the bathroom after drinking all day.
Speaking about the match, the Brit stated that it was by far the longest he has ever played and that he felt better on the court than the day before, which is a positive thing
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