Murray wins five-set epic on return to Australian Open

MELBOURNE: Andy Murray battled to his first win at the Australian Open since 2017 with an epic five-set victory over 21st seed Nikoloz Basilashvili on Tuesday (Jan 18).

The three-time Grand Slam champion, playing with a metal hip following career-saving surgery in 2019, wrestled with the Georgian for almost four hours before claiming his place in the second round.

Scotland's Murray, ranked 113 and playing as a tournament wildcard, showed his trademark fighting spirit to edge home in the gripping final set and clinch a 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-4 victory in 3hr 52 min on John Cain Arena.

It was the 34-year-old's first match at the Australian Open since 2019 when he went out in the first round. He made a tearful exit and it was thought that it might be his farewell. He had surgery on his hip weeks later.

"Amazing, been a tough three or four years. Put in a lot of work to get back here," a relieved Murray said on the court on Tuesday.

"I've played on this court many times and the atmosphere is incredible. It's amazing to be back and winning a five-set battle like that, I couldn't ask for any more."

It continued a keen rivalry between the pair with Murray rallying from a set down to defeat the big-hitting Georgian last week in Sydney and also prevailing over four sets in the first round at Wimbledon last year.

Murray grabbed the opening set with the loss of just one game, but Basilashvili levelled it up with the second set, before trading blows with the wily Scot in the third.

Basilashvili was pounding his groundstrokes and Murray had to use all his guile to get the ball back in play and work for an opening.

Murray, a five-time finalist in Melbourne, had three set points at 5-3 but the Georgian fought them all off to cling on to