Andy Murray was given a standing ovation after his heroic Australian Open campaign run came to an end.
The Brit crashed out of the competition in Melbourne following a 6-1 6-7 6-3 6-4 defeat by Roberto Bautista Agut just 39 hours after walking off the court at 4am after his second round victory.
Following his defeat, the 35-year-old looked emotional as he was given a standing ovation by those in attendance who had watched his valiant effort.
Andy Murray was given a standing ovation after his four-set loss to Roberto Bautista Agut
Murray, battling pain and fatigue, could not put in any more energy into his third-round exit
His mum Judy Murray was in attendance and joined in the ovation to her son at the end
Among those in the crowd, included his mum Judy Murray, who had been cheering and shouting throughout the match in support of her son.
After the match she looked proud though after her son’s efforts in which he has played a staggering 14 hours in six days.
Murray shook hands with his opponent before begrudgingly heading off the court knowing that his tournament was over.
Murray’s previous match against Thanasi Kokkinakis, which ended past four in the morning after nearly five hours of play, left him with little sleep, a bad back and blisters that needed draining from his feet
Murray after the game said his feet ‘didn’t feel great’ and that he was struggling with his lower back which affected his serve throughout the contest on Saturday
He still put in a resilient performance against Bautista Agut, and after the game he said: ‘My feet didn’t feel great. My legs were actually okay but I was struggling with my lower back.
‘That was affecting my serve and that was really the main thing today.’
Murray, with the crowd firmly behind him, broke Bautista Agut in the first game of the fourth set to raise hopes of going to another fifth set.
However, he ended up squandering a 2-0 lead before dropping serve in the ninth game.
His exit was sealed when a cross-court forehand went long, as he bowed out following some heroic displays in Melbourne.
But he was encouraged by his week at Melbourne Park, if disappointed not to reach the second week.
‘Lots of mixed emotions, I feel like I gave everything I had to this event, so I’m proud of that,’ he said.
‘But, yeah, I’m also disappointed because I put loads of work into the beginning of this year and was playing well enough to have a really good run, have a deep run.
Murray said that he felt as though he could have gone further into the competition
‘I’m disappointed because I feel like I could have gone quite a bit further.’
Bautista Agut knocked Murray out in the opening round of the tournament four years ago, after the tearful Scot said his hip was shot and his career might be over.
It has been a long and punishing road back for the three-times Grand Slam champion since being fitted with a metal hip.
Tin Henman commented on Eurosport: ‘He gives it everything. I think he’ll take a lot from this … he’ll be very proud of his performance, and it gives him a lot to build on for the rest of the season.’
