Andy Murray's exhausting Australian Open run ended by Roberto Bautista Agut 🔴 The former world No 1 lost in the third round, running out of steam after two epic five-setters earlier in the week
It became painful to watch. Nothing he did was without impairment. Even picking his water bottle from the bench required him to lean on his racket as he bent, like a middle-aged golfer struggling to pick up his ball.
He will not retire. The Australian Open organisers know better than to suggest that he might. It was after defeat to Bautista Agut in 2019 that they kept him in court for an emotional farewell montage. In fairness, he had said it would probably be the end – and no one expected him to come back. Murray of course has spent his whole career defying expectation, never less so than in this the post-hip era. As a a youngster, he struggled with cramp in long matches and his commitment to physical training was questioned. He subsequently turned himself into one of the fittest and fastest players on the planet. Later, they questioned whether he had the bottle to win a grand slam: he won three, two Olympic gold medals and became world No 1.
“Maybe next match I will have a little more support,” said Bautista Agut after sealing victory. The fans showed their appreciation for his contribution, but the night had not been about him. It had barely even been about tennis. It was about the metal hip and the iron will of Sir Andrew Barron Murray, whose Twitter bio simply reads “I play tennis”.
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