After crazy tournament
Andy Murray broadside against hip doctor
01/21/2023, 8:49 p.m
At 35, Andy Murray put on an impressive tournament at the Australian Open. Now he’s eliminated – but still has something to say. The trigger is an encounter with a doctor who once no longer believed him capable of professional sport.
Although Andy Murray was eliminated in the third round of the Australian Open 1: 6, 7: 6 (9: 7), 3: 6, 4: 6 against Roberto Bautista Agut, his performance and especially the previous match will be remembered stay.
His five-set second-round match against Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis lasted almost six hours. It ended with a 4:6, 6:7 (4), 7:6 (5), 6:3, 7:5 win. Another notable fact: 35-year-old Murray contested it with his metal hip, which was fitted to him just a few years ago.
Murray is now emphasizing this again in a tweet – including a broadside against a doctor who once gave him a gloomy prognosis. With a little anecdote of a reunion. Murray writes: “Two days ago I happened to meet the doctor who said to me in 2017, ‘The good news is that the problem you have in your hip can be fixed, but you will no longer be able to play professional sports to operate.’ I think we’ve busted that myth in the last 5 days.”
Without a doubt, Murray dispelled this myth in the tournament, and especially in the mega match against Kokkinakis. Even though Murray’s hip was doing well, he wasn’t entirely free of pain in the following match against Bautista Agut. He spoke after retiring from lower back problems.
These could possibly also be an aftermath of the duel with Kokkinakis. Murray not only dueled Kokkinakis for 5 hours and 45 minutes, but finally defeated him at 4.05am early Friday morning Australian local time. On Saturday evening we went straight back to Agut. Not really much recovery time.
Murray then made a general criticism of matches that are scheduled to last until the morning hours, which was often taken up. He received encouragement for this, including from Boris Becker.