There’s the art of sport — sweet silk, jaw-droppingly enticing. And then there is the heart of sport, the might of the fight, courage that stirs the soul.
Andy Murray’s 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-4 win over 21st seed Nikoloz Basilashvili in the first round of the Australian Open — a near four-hour blockbuster — captioned ‘survival’ was all about little steps and sweat. Spirit that lit up a dark alley. The Georgian’s brute power was offset somewhat by Murray’s tactic of staying low, suffocating the 29-year-old, particularly off the backhand. It sealed the Briton’s second win over Basilashvili in as many weeks.
