Andy Murray survives five match points to battle into Qatar Open final

Andy Murray saved five match points in yet another marathon encounter to somehow reach the final of the Qatar Open.

The two-time Wimbledon champion went the distance again – all six of his wins this year have gone to deciding sets – in an astonishing 6-0, 3-6, 7-6 (8-6) victory over the rising Czech star Jiri Lehecka.

Serving at 5-3 down in the decider, Murray had to save two match points before Lehecka moved 40-0 up on his own serve in the next game. What happened next was scarcely believable, even by Murray’s standards, as he repelled all three match points to level the set at 5-5, before beating a shellshocked Lehecka in the tie-break.

“I don’t know, that was one of the most amazing turnarounds I’ve had in my career,” the 35-year-old said. “I knew it was his first time serving for a final so I had to keep the pressure on because I know how difficult it can be to serve matches like that out, but I have no idea how I managed to turn that one around.”

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Murray, twice a winner in Doha, has now reached the final a record five times. “This tournament has had many great players; [Roger] Federer, [Andy] Roddick, [Rafael] Nadal and Novak [Djokovic],” he said. “Those guys have obviously achieved a lot more than me so this is maybe one small win I can have over them.”

Murray has played 12 sets this week, on the back of his two brutal five-setters at the Australian Open, and spent another two and a half hours on the court getting past 21-year-old Lehecka.

“I feel all right just now although obviously the adrenaline is pumping after a match like that,” Murray said. “I’m sure there’ll be a bit of fatigue tomorrow but I have a great team behind me. My physio has a job on his hands tonight.”

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Murray will face Daniil Medvedev or Félix Auger-Aliassime in his first final since Stuttgart last June. If he wins it will mean a first title since victory in Antwerp in October 2019, and a second since undergoing career-saving hip surgery.