THIS TIME IT'S FOR REAL

Murray bows out with whimper five years after 'final farewell'

- Neil McLeman

AFTER an emotional defeat here on the first Monday five years ago, the Australian Open said goodbye to Andy Murray.

Yesterday, with an embarrassed smile and wave as he left the Kia Arena holding back tears, the Scot said his own, lower-key farewell.

This time it was for real. A video montage with tributes from Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal was played Murray has undergone a second on the big screen in the Rod Laver successful hip operation and given Arena after he lost to Roberto us more headlines and heartaches, Bautista Agut in 2019. Since then, but, as he approaches his 37th birthday in May, he has never been able to reproduce the success from earlier in his career, for all his Braveheart heroics.

He has not reached a Grand Slam event quarter-final since Wimbledon 2017.