Mighty Murray: Can the top Scot add a new chapter to remarkable Melbourne history?

“I have so many amazing memories here. Some of them a little bit kind of bitter-sweet.”

Bitter-sweet is one way to put it. Agonising, frustrating, infuriating or despairing could be other descriptions. Murray is a five-time Australian Open runner-up, beaten on four occasions by friend and rival Djokovic, key moments in the Serbian’s catalogue as he built his “King of Melbourne Park” status.

“It’s a tournament that - I know nothing is deserved in sport - but I kind of feel like I deserve to win one of them. I played so well here over the years. It didn’t quite happen for me,” reflected Murray.

“I love the Aussie summer. I’ve always loved coming to these events. It’s great to be back.”

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Three years on from that emotional pre-tournament media conference, when Murray broke down and outlined just how hampered he was by the hip complaint, he can look at that time with a level of emotional detachment.

“Really I wasn’t there,” Murray said.

Murray was beaten in a five-setter by Roberto Bautista-Agut in the first round. Afterwards, the Australian Open effectively farewelled him with an on-court video tribute.

“You know I was really struggling and in a lot of pain and, you know, was kind of right at the end for me.

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“It’s been a tough, tough road to get back here.”

Without specific high-level goals at the majors, Murray is entitled to lower his eyes and look at other things on his checklist in 2022.

Improving on his world No.135 ranking - a number not good enough for main-draw direct entry at the majors - however, is not one of those.

“I have some small goals, like short-term ones – like to get to 700 match wins [he was won 691 matches],” Murray said.

“I want to get myself in a position where I can have a run at one of the major events again.

“I’ve won I think 46 events on the tour. I have a goal to reach 50 – I don’t know whether that will happen or not, but there all the sort of things that are motivating to me and targets that I try and set with my team.

“Hopefully I can achieve a few of them this year.”

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