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Andy Murray has called on tennis to end the “farce” of all-night matches after battling past 4am at the Australian Open to beat Thanasi Kokkinakis in one of the most remarkable performances of his career.
The 35-year-old, who fought for nearly five hours to upset Matteo Berrettini on Tuesday with his best result since 2017, forced a deciding set and eventually won 4-6 6-7 (4) 7-6 (5) 6 -3 7-5 over Kokkinakis at 4.05am Melbourne time, having not started at Margaret Court Arena until after 10pm the previous day.
At five hours and 45 minutes, it was the longest match of Murray’s entire career, the second longest in the history of the tournament and the third longest finish for a tennis match, and the Great Britain questioned how such a situation was allowed to happen.
.“I don’t know who it’s helpful to,” Murray said. “We came here after the match and what was the discussion, instead of like, ‘Murray-Kokkinakis epic match’ – it ended up being a bit funny.
“It’s amazing that people stayed until the end, and I’m very happy with the people who did it and created the atmosphere for us. Some people have to work the next day and everything.
“But if my son is a ball boy for a tournament and he comes home at five in the morning, as a parent, I’m horrified. It’s not good for him; It’s not good for the referee, the officials. ; I don’t think it’s great for the fans; It’s not good for the players.
“We talk about it all the time, and it has been talked about for years. But if you start the last match night and have a situation like that, it will happen.
The final comment refers to the ball being used for this year’s tournament, which drew many complaints from players for being too slow, while Murray was also unhappy that he was not allowed extra toilet breaks.
The fact that there is a protocol to allow alternative arrangements for the final match has led to criticism from current and former players on social media, with Murray’s brother Jamie among those expressing concern.
“Time for tennis to move to just one 1 night session match at the grand slam,” the 36-year-old former Australian Open doubles champion posted on Twitter. “This is the best result for all singles players.
“We can’t continue to have players competing in the morning. Rubbish for everyone involved – players/fans/event staff Etc.”
Martina Navratilova, the three-time winner of the Australian Open during her stellar career, called on the organizers of the tournament and the International Tennis Federation to make alternative arrangements for the match as well.
“It is important to make better rules in tennis regarding the weather (light and wind) and the start time or cutoff time for matches,” Navratilova wrote.
“Murray and Kokkinakis will finish around 4. Crazy- no other sport does this @AustralianOpen @ITFTennis.”
In total, Murray has spent almost 11 hours on court in his two matches at the Australian Open so far and will have little time to prepare to face Roberto Bautista Agut for a place in the fourth round on Saturday.
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Andy Murray showed his joy after winning a five-set thriller against Thanasi Kokkinakis that lasted until 4am in Melbourne
Indeed, Great Britain’s former Davis Cup teammate, Dom Inglot, expects Murray to prioritize his recovery sessions over hitting balls on the practice court ahead of his match with the Spaniard.
“It was very difficult,” Inglot said Sky Sports News. “Even if you do it in the match, in the morning when you wake up, you feel that someone took a crowbar on your back, knee, hip, and you have to react and recover.
“You’re going to use an ice bath, you’re going to use a compression sleeve on your leg – I honestly think he might not hit much the next day because it’s all about staying fresh.”
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