Former world No. 1 Andy Murray recovered from a match point down to produce an amazing performance to beat Italy’s Matteo Berrettini 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-7, 7-6 on Tuesday.
At 35, Murray showed he still has the fitness levels to compete at a Slam, as the match went into its fifth hour.
Murray raced into an early 3-0 lead in the first set, taking it and the second set before the No.13 seed Berrettini hit back to win the next two sets.
The deciding set was full of drama as the Italian saw his chance with Murray tiring.
Murray coughed up match point at 4-5 but Berrettini blew his chance with a routine backhand that hit the bottom the net, as the pair levelled at 5-5.
Both held serve again to force a tie-break at 6-6 as Murray started superbly, jumping to a 5-0 lead.
Berrettini fought back but Murray held his nerve and won out 10-6.
Murray will face either Fabio Fognini or home favourite Thanasi Kokkinakis in the next round on Thursday.
Earlier, another Brit, Dan Evans, saw off Facundo Bagnis in his first round match, an encounter that was stopped for three hours because of extreme heat.
Evans had taken a two-sets-to-one lead against the Argentine when the players were taken off court as temperatures topped 35C.
When they returned Evans wrapped it up with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 win.
Evans will play Frenchman Jeremy Chardy in the second round.
