Andy Murray has been praised for his inspiring performances at the Australian Open by three-time Grand Slam winner Tracy Austin.
Murray progressed to the third round of the 2023 Australian Open after a first-round win against Matteo Berrettini before the Brit came back from two sets down to beat Thanasi Kokkinakis in the second round. The contest against Kokkinakis lasted five hours and 45 minutes - the longest match of Murray's career.
Even though Murray was beaten in the third round by Roberto Bautista Agut, he earned plaudits from former Wimbledon and US Open winner Austin who was impressed with the 35-yard-old's resilience.
"What am I gonna remember most about the Aussie open 2023 besides the major champions it’s got to be Andy Murray. The way that he continues to compete and fight. [I] remember it was four years ago when Andy lost and the doctor said ‘you know what I don’t think you’re going to be able to play professional tennis again. Yes, you can have the surgery but that’s going to be maybe a step too far."
In particular, Austin was surprised by how long Murray was able to compete in the first two rounds of the Australian Open and she believes the three-time Grand Slam winner has more to come in the future.
“10 ½ hours out on the court for just those first two matches really have enough and the answer...The way Andy battles all the way to 4:05 in the morning it’s incredible; five hours and 45 minutes. So you just gotta applaud this guy – three majors, he’s got 2 Olympic gold medals, Hall of Fame career in the future love watching him compete."
However, Murray's run at the Australian Open came at a cost as the Brit pulled out of the Rotterdam Open next week to recover. The former number one is scheduled to play at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship after receiving a wildcard entry to the competition.
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