(Melbourne) At the end of the night, at the end of the effort: Andy Murray, 66^e world, qualified for the third round of the Australian Open by beating the Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis (159^e) 4-6, 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/5), 6-3, 7-5 after 5:45 a.m. match.

The record at the Australian Open therefore still remains the final won by Djokovic against Nadal in 2012, played for 5 hours and 53 minutes.

It was 4:06 a.m. Friday when the two players hugged each other. This is the third latest match in history, according to the organizers, after Zverev-Brooksby in Acapulco in 2022 (4:54 a.m.) and Hewitt-Baghdatis at the Australian Open in 2008 (4:34 a.m.).

“It was incredible, he served very well, but I played better and better and … yes, I have a big heart”, launched the Scotsman who had already taken 4:49 to overcome the Italian Matteo Berrettini (14^e) in five innings and having saved a match point in the first round.

“Going up two races, I’ve already done that! So I relied on my experience, my love of the game and competition,” explained the Briton, whose previous longest match had lasted “only” 5:07 a.m.

Kokkinakis led 5-2 in the third set and served for the game at 5-3 without being able to stop Murray from coming back and winning the set on his first set point in the tiebreaker.

Murray then leveled two sets all and pushed his opponent into a decisive set where, on a huge forehand winner, he broke to lead 6-5 and serve for the match in front of a thin but furious crowd.

The five-time finalist in Melbourne (2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016) then offered himself two match points and concluded on the first.

On Saturday, he will face Spaniard Roberto Bautista (25^e) for a place in 8^are of final.