It was the second-latest decorativeness to a expansive slam singles lucifer astatine the Australian Open, but Andy Murray was feeling acold from sentimental astir his spot successful the grounds books and what it meant for players, fans and officials.
AS IT HAPPENED: Murray outlasts Kokkinakis successful legendary marathon
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The three-time expansive slam champion and Thanasi Kokkinakis pushed themselves to the constituent of exhaustion successful the clash that went for 5 hours, 45 minutes arsenic Murray emerged with a 4-6, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5), 6-3, 7-5 triumph that ended a small aft 4 a.m.
There wasn't overmuch separating some players successful the end. Murray won 196 points to Kokkinakis' 192 and they some combined for 171 winners to lone 107 unforced errors.
With the lucifer starting astatine 10:20pm, the concern became farcical erstwhile Murray forced proceedings into a 5th set. It was aft 3am and the somesthesia dropped to 15 degrees. As the clash ticked into the 5th hour, 35-year-old Murray asked to spell to the toilet, adjacent though helium had already been afforded his allocated break.
The umpire denied his request, leaving the the erstwhile satellite No.1 dumbfounded by the deficiency of communal consciousness astir the rules.
"Do you cognize something? I respect the rules. It's truthful disrespectful that the tourney has america retired present until 3 oregon 4 o'clock successful the greeting and we we're not allowed to spell and instrumentality a piss. It's a joke. You cognize it's a joke. It's disrespectful, it's ridiculous," helium told the seat umpire.
Speaking to reporters aft the match, Murray described the concern arsenic a "farce".
"I don't cognize who it's beneficial for," Murray said.
"We travel present aft the lucifer and that's what the treatment is. Rather than it being like, epic Murray-Kokkinakis match, it ends successful a spot of a farce.
"Amazingly radical stayed until the end. And I truly admit radical doing that and creating an ambiance for america astatine the end. I truly admit that.
Murray reflects connected mind-bending marathon
"But if my kid was a shot kid for a tourney and they're coming location astatine 5 successful the morning, arsenic a parent, I'm snapping astatine that.
"It's not beneficial for them, it's not beneficial for the umpires, the officials, I don't deliberation it's astonishing for the fans, it's not bully for the players.
"We speech astir it each the time, and it's been spoken astir for years.
"But erstwhile you commencement the nighttime matches precocious and person conditions similar that, these things are gonna happen."
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