Andy Murray defeated local lad Kokkinakis 4-6, 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 7-5 in a match that lasted five hours and 45 minutes – Novak Djokovic had his say
Novak Djokovic took to Instagram to appreciate the efforts of Andy Murray and Thanasi Kokkinakis after their marathon 5 hours and 45 minutes match at the Australian Open. Andy Murray pulled off one of the most insane comebacks of all time, last night at the Margaret Court Arena. The veteran Brit displayed all of his class and experience, winning a thrilling encounter after going two sets down against Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis. However, Djokovic didn’t forget to tease Murray amidst all the appreciation. The Serbian star shared a photo from his own 5 hours 53 minutes exhausting battle with Nadal in 2012, tagged Murray and wrote: “You just fell short by 8 minutes. Sorry mate.”
Djokovic was full of praise for both Kokkinakis and Murray in his first two Instagram stories though. In the first one, he shared a picture of Kokkinakis and wrote: “Amazing effort. You’re a warrior.” He followed it up with another story, dedicated to Murray and captioned it: “Phenomenal fighting spirit of a great champion! Really inspirational! Well done mate.” After last night’s epic win, Murray is now the player with the most comeback wins (11) after going two sets down, ahead of Roger Federer, Boris Becker and Aaron Krickstein (10).
Let us take a look at some of the reactions from fans on social media.
“How could you not love Novak? Public displays of affection, support (and cheek). Love it”, wrote a fan.
“He fell short by 8 mins because he didn’t take absurdly long toilet breaks. Class from Novak though”, joked another fan.
“Commiserations, Congratulations and Cheekiness. Classic Novak”, read a comment.
“I’d reckon Murray would still be a top player for years and contest a few more slams if it wasn’t for the injury. It’s less about the age and moreso about the really bad hip injury. Novak’s genetics are god-tier when it comes to injuries and he really adapted his game to be able to compete at a high level still at his age. A combination of those and he’s good to play for a few more years at a top level probably”, commented another fan.
Another fan wrote: “This is great from Novak.”
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