- Briton beats 13th seed 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-7 (7-9), 7-6 (10-6)
- Berrettini had match point in final set of first-round epic
For nearly four hours under the glaring spotlight of Rod Laver Arena, Andy Murray had weaved together a joyful, vintage performance that positioned him on the verge of his best result in the past five years of his career. First he established an emphatic two-set lead over Matteo Berrettini, then in a breathless tie-break Murray stood two points from victory.
Even as it all seemed to be coming undone, as Berrettini dragged Murray back to a fifth set and stood even closer to victory, at no point did Murray allow his intensity to drop. He fought with everything he had until the death and at the end of a brilliant, rousing and high quality match, Murray closed off his best performance in half a decade with a classic victory.