Andy Murray has done the seemingly impossible yet again as he came back from two sets down to beat Thanasi Kokkinakis and progress to the third round of the Australian Open, breaking not one but two records in the process.
After already putting on a fairly herculean display in the opening round of the tournament, playing for nearly five hours, many were worried that he might have emptied the tank early doors. Not so, as he ended up taking this match even further, battling for nearly six whole hours — his longest game ever.
As if that wasn’t staggering enough, in addition to playing the third-longest match in tennis history, he also broke the record for the most singles games won from two sets down, surpassing the likes of Roger Federer, Boris Becker and Aaron Krickstein. Madness.
The epic battle lasted for a total of five hours and 45 minutes and he stayed resilient throughout, winning some of the most ridiculous points we’ve ever seen from him. The Scot really is super-human at times.
Despite Kokkinakis making a staggering start and looking like he was going to cruise to victory, the 35-year-old somehow managed to keep a foothold in the tie.
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The Aussie native pushed the former world number one to the very brink and played more than his part in several relentless rallies, with each player showcasing some serious accuracy when it came to playing down the line and well-placed drop shots, but Murray still made sure to capitalise on every little slip-up.
The five-time Australian Open runner-up went on to win the match 4-6 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 7-5, with the final point being played at 4:05am.
Although he was obviously relieved to still be in the fight after hours of breath-taking tennis, he did also show his usual emotions while out on the court.
Undoubtedly the most warranted moment of frustration was when he asked the officials if he could go to the toilet after he had been already been playing for several hours and was told he was not allowed.
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Speaking to the umpire during the break, he said: “I respect the rules [but] it’s so disrespectful that the tournament has us out here until 3, 4 o’clock in the f***ing morning and we’re not allowed to go and take a piss. It’s a joke… it’s disrespectful to you, to the ball children, to the players — ridiculous”.
I mean, you’d be fuming, wouldn’t you?
Andy Murray into a fifth set in Melbourne (where it’s 3 AM) … asked for a bathroom break, was told it wasn’t an option and he vented. Oh yes, he vented as he should. pic.twitter.com/8dmrFVAJXT
Nevertheless, not only did he make it to the end but he managed to notch another win on what has been a long and winding road to a comeback we all hope ends with another Grand Slam title — if not in Australia then sometime soon.
It’s worth reminding that there aren’t many players who would keep going after so many setbacks and a metal hip following two major joint ‘resurfacing’ surgeries, let alone still be joking at the end of the day.
All that being said, overcoming injuries, countless impressive points and two record-breaking achievements aside, this was our favourite moment of the entire ordeal.
Super League ‘Rivals Round’ fixtures confirmed, with two big North West clashes
Danny Jones
The Betfred Super League (BSL) ‘Rivals Round’ games for 2026 have been confirmed, with two big regional clashes coming in time for the spring.
Returning for 2026, the annual meeting of multiple teams coming up against their fiercest and most historic rivals will land on round seven of the calendar over the traditional Easter weekend.
Despite the competition having sadly lost Salford Red Devils following their forced relegation, local rugby fans will still be glad to see the borough of Wigan, as well as neighbouring Cheshire and nearby Merseyside clubs, coming up against each other in what is a highly anticipated fixture on the calendar.
Announcing the now fully confirmed matches this week, the total of seven matches are set to be played between Friday, 3 April and the following Sunday, 5 April.
In the Super League’s own words, there are few gameweeks more box office than the Rivals Round – “where the games mean more, hit harder and have the ability to divide towns and families.”
After the inaugural edition of the modern round in 2021, this year saw the division record a best-ever attendance of 86,080 across a six-match period, and with an extra game being played next season, we’re expecting more ground to be broken.
“The most intense and historic rivalries will go head-to-head with huge crowds anticipated, emotions running high and everyone expected to bring their A game”, say the BSL.
Huddersfield Giants v York Knights – Saturday, 4 April
Castleford Tigers v Wakefield Trinity – Sunday, 5 April
One of the most notable exclusions among the slate, of course, is that of Salford Red Devils, as various players and staff members continue to leave the club during this increasingly concerning and deep period of uncertainty.
Salford supporters have given a clear response following the decisive drop in IMG gradings:
Although they are now longer in rugby league’s premier domestic tier, Salford are still expected to take part in the Challenge Cup tournament, which begins in January.
Betfred and the RFL revealed the most recent ties on Monday, 24 November, with the Devils due to face either Royal Navy Rugby or Hammersmith Hills Hoists in the second round.
Meanwhile, with the new campaign kicking off in February, rugby fans will only have to wait a couple of months to witness the upcoming instalments in the various rivalries.
Safe to say it’s going to be a spicy Easter break.
Pep Guardiola admits heavily rotated squad was ‘too much’ after landmark home loss
Danny Jones
Pep Guardiola has conceded that his heavily rotated side, which saw almost an entirely different team from the previous matchday squad, may have been “too many changes” as Manchester City suffered their first home loss in the Champions League group stages in more than seven years.
Man City suffered a 2-0 defeat whilst hosting Bayer Leverkusen at the Etihad Stadium – a place that has been largely a fortress in European fixtures since the Catalan coach arrived – but the biggest headline on the night was the whopping 10 personnel changes Guardiola made to his starting XI.
It has been argued that Pep has become overly reliant on star striker Erling Haaland (who has already scored 19 goals in the Premier League and UCL combined this season), and the virtually ‘start-from-scratch’ outfit he fielded on Tuesday night definitely didn’t do him any favours.
Speaking to various media in post-match interviews and the press conference after the game, Pep admitted that his wholesale rotation gamble may have been “too much.”
"Maybe it was too much…"
Pep Guardiola reflected on Man City's home defeat to Bayer Leverkusen after making 10 changes 🔁 pic.twitter.com/WBZHwl3ZOb
Considering the only continuity between the batch that faced Leverkusen and the previous squad that narrowly lost to Newcastle United was the still relatively new CDM, Nico González, we think he might be on to something.
In fact, as if the conviction behind the decision wasn’t already questionable enough, Pep insisted before the game that he would have made more if he could, but with fellow central midfielder talisman Rodri still injured, the number 14 was the sole teammate who remained from the weekend.
There are always going to be lapses in sharpness and fluidity when a lineup is shuffled, but it’s fair to say that it’s almost guaranteed when you remove every individual bar one.
Perhaps this was a somewhat covert/loaded attempt to shine a light again on previously mentioned complaints regarding squad depth in relation to the increasingly congested fixture list, with both Guardiola and the aforementioned Euro 2020 winner having flagged their concerns about the calendar.
This is also the second time in just a matter of days that the 54-year-old has held his hands up and taken accountability for making “huge mistakes”.
Not only was it City’s first Champions League loss of the season, but as mentioned, the first and at home in the competition’s initial stages in more than half a decade.
It’s quite a record that Pep has clung onto, which should get plenty of recognition in its own right, but supporters will nevertheless be hoping to get back to winning ways soon and avoid stringing together any more consecutive losses.
Last November was the first time Guardiola had ever lost four matches in a row during his entire career, and with a trio of very winnable fixtures coming up in the league, we would bank on a big reaction in the next game against Leeds.
If you missed the game, you can watch the highlights from Man City vs Bayer Leverkusen down below.
Danny Jones -
20th January 2023 
