Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

As it happenedended

Andy Murray out of Australian Open: Briton talks retirement after defeat by Roberto Bautista Agut

Reaction from the first-round match at the Australian Open in Melbourne

Jack de Menezes
Monday 14 January 2019 08:22 EST
Comments
Emotional Andy Murray says Australian Open could be last tournament after struggling to recover from hip surgery

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Andy Murray’s Australian Open is over after losing a thriller to Roberto Bautista Agut in what could be the final match of his career.

Murray is contemplating retirement due to the persistent hip injury that has blighted him for more than two years, with the three-time Grand Slam champion admitting last week that he will retire in 2019, hopefully after one last outing at Wimbledon in the summer.

But such is the pain that he is fighting, Murray could now choose to call it quits now that his Australian Open campaign has come to an end.

Please allow a moment for the blog to load.

What time does it start?

Murray vs Bautista Agut is due to begin not before 7am, and more likely to be around an 8am start once Kyle Edmund’s match against Tomas Berdych has completed.

Where can I watch it?

The match will be shown live on Eurosport.

Odds

Andy Murray to win: 4/1

Roberto Bautista Agut to win: 1/5

The video has brought Murray close to tears as he's given a standing ovation from those inside the arena.

Jack de Menezes14 January 2019 12:15

Andy Murray:

I've been very fortunate in many ways and lucky to compete against some of the guys who've been around. Roger, Rafa, Novak, those guys have been brilliant. 

To have the respect of your peers is the most important thing, so that was nice to see.

Jack de Menezes14 January 2019 12:16
Jack de Menezes14 January 2019 13:00

Paul Newman was inside the Hisense Arena to watch today's emotional rollercoaster unfold, in which he remembered exactly why the Briton's eventual retirement will be such a loss for the sport.

Jack de Menezes14 January 2019 13:05

The perhaps most surprising aspect of what Murray had to say post-match was that this may not be the end.

He now faces a difficult decision on whether to spend the next five months trying to get into a position to compete at Wimbledon, but after that he has not ruled out the possibility of undergoing major surgery on his hip. Murray revealed that he is likely to undergo a hip resurfacing operation just to improve his standard of living, but it could also put him in a condition to mount a remarkable comeback somewhere down the line.

Here's what he had to say: 

Jack de Menezes14 January 2019 13:10

That's all from a crazy day one at the Australian Open, where it could well be the end of Andy Murray.

He bows out of the first Grand Slam of the year with his head held high, and if it is to be the end, it is no disservice that he took the match the distance before succumbing to Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut.

We now wait with bated breath for Wimbledon to come around to see if Murray will give it one last go, but for now we can cherish what may have been an incredibly resilient display that caps a fantastic career.

Thanks for joining us.

Jack de Menezes14 January 2019 13:15

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in