At the end of a delirious six days in Melbourne, as Andy Murray again battled into the night and took his audience on a journey of persistence and grit across three consecutive rounds, he was asked if the sacrifices and efforts he had made in order to prepare for the tournament were worth the result. He took a moment to consider his answer.
“I felt good about the way that I was playing,” he said. “It’s more enjoyable for me when I’m playing like that, when I’m coming into a major event and really believing that I can do some damage. But I can have a deeper run than the third round of a slam, there’s no question about that. Obviously draws can open up for you. I need to also help myself with that.”
