Australian Open 2019: Andy Murray rages against the dying of the light on night he reminded everyone why he'll be so missed
Despite being in obvious physical pain throughout Murray showed he still has the abundant talent that made him the greatest British player ever to wield a racket
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Your support makes all the difference.By the end he was struggling to walk because of the pain from his injured right hip, but on what might prove to be the last match of his career Andy Murray was never going to let physical pain get the better of the ferocious competitive instinct that has helped him become one of the finest sportsmen in British history.
It was as if the last 18 months had never happened as the 31-year-old Scot thrilled a full house in the Melbourne Arena here at the Australian Open on Monday night with the sort of gutsy performance that have made him one of the world’s best players for more than a decade.
The reality, however, was that Murray’s 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 6-2 first-round defeat at the hands of Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut may be the last time we see him on a tennis court. Having announced his intention to quit this year because of the continuing pain from the hip which he injured two summers ago, Murray may yet decide within the next week to have a second operation on his right hip, which could scupper his plan to make this summer’s Wimbledon his farewell tournament.
Murray’s performance reminded us of the talent that has made him the greatest British player ever to wield a tennis racket. In the end what might have done for the Scot was his lack of court time - this was just the 15thmatch he has played since he limped out of Wimbledon in the summer of 2017 – but there were still plenty of flashes of his old brilliance.
The former world No 1 hit some thumping ground strokes, defended as if his life depended on it, played some stunning drop shots and regularly outfoxed his opponent with his subtle variations of pace and spin. The only indications that he was suffering any physical pain came in the grunts and groans as he strained every sinew to reach balls. Like the Murray of old, he never gave up.
Through all his physical troubles Murray has taken only anti-inflammatories rather than pain-killers, but on this occasion he took two paracetamol tablets before the match, which enabled him to play with more freedom.
“Today I knew it was potentially the last match I would play,” he said afterwards. “I didn't care if I damaged my hip any more in the match, so it was a bit easier to deal with the pain because I know that I don't have to hit balls tomorrow, that if I'm really sore, I've been dealing with it a long time, I'll deal with it a few more days. It's not a big deal.”
The match was played in the Melbourne Arena, which is the third of the Australian Open’s show courts. It is unticketed, so it was no surprise that there were long queues of spectators. The fans can create a passionate atmosphere in the stadium and Murray has always enjoyed playing in it.
Bautista Agut, who had lost all three of their previous matches without winning a set, is a fine athlete and a consistent performer, though the world No 23’s lack of any major weapons can be exposed by the very best players.
The Australian Open has been Murray’s most successful Grand Slam tournament in terms of his appearances in the final – he has been runner-up five times but has never managed to win the title – and he is hugely popular in these parts. There were plenty of Union and Saltire flags in the crowd and one banner read: “There will only ever be one Andy Murray”.
Murray’s mother, Judy, and his brother, Jamie, were in the crowd, who got behind Murray from the start. His winning shots were greeted with loud applause, while Bautista Agut’s were sometimes met with near silence.
After a typically sweltering Melbourne day the temperature was still 29C when the match started shortly before 7pm. Murray started well, winning the first game after hitting three unreturned serves. The opening set went with serve until the ninth game, when Bautista Agut set up a break point with a sound backhand volley which he converted as Murray netted a forehand.
After serving out for the first set, the Spaniard held firm at 0-1 in the second when he saved two break points. At 2-2 he broke again before going on to win the set.
When Bautista Agut broke again to lead 2-1 in the third set it seemed that the end might be swift, but Murray dug in with all his customary cussedness. In the following game Bautista Agut went 30-40 down, upon which Murray hit a backhand winner down the line to one of the biggest cheers of the night.
With the Spaniard serving at 4-5 Murray went on the attack to go to set point. Bautista Agut saved it, but Murray was not to be denied. The Spaniard saved another set point with a drop shot, but Murray hit a big serve at 6-5 and followed it up with a drive volley winner to more rapturous applause. Against all the odds, a Murray comeback was under way.
The fourth set was tight. Murray, serving second, kept having to come from behind and neither man had a break point. Murray went 6-1 up with some superb hitting, only for Bautista Agut to save three set points. On the fourth, however, the Spaniard netted a service return, prompting Murray to bellow out a mighty roar. Might the Scot now go on to win a match from two sets down for the tenth time in his career?
When Bautista Agut served at 0-1 Murray won the most remarkable point of a remarkable night. The Scot had to defend desperately to chase down a drop shot and then a lob before Bautista Agut missed a backhand. Murray won the next point, too, but was unable to drive home his advantage. Bautista Agut held serve and then broke twice to lead 5-1.
Before he served to stay in the match the stadium erupted into spontaneous applause as spectators rose to give Murray a standing ovation. The Scot, clearly moved by the moment, raised his racket in appreciation.
Murray held on for 5-2, but in the next game Bautista Agut created three set points with a smash and converted the first of them with a thumping forehand down the line. The ultimate comeback was not to be, but if this does prove to be Murray’s last match it will have been a night to remember.
“Thank you so much to everyone who came out tonight,” Murray said in his on-court interview. “Honestly, I've loved playing here over the years. It's an amazing place to play tennis.”
The night ended with the big screen showing a series of interviews with top players – among them Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Caroline Wozniacki – paying their tributes to Murray.
“If today was my last match, it was a brilliant way to finish,” Murray said later. “It was an amazing atmosphere. I literally gave everything that I had on the court, fought as best as I could, and performed a lot better than what I should have done without the amount I've been able to practise and train. I’d be OK with that being my last match.”
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