|Surviving a marathon match|
|Around the Academy:
The quarter-final against Younes El Aynaoui at last year's Australian Open was a special match.
The match went to five sets and I ended up winning the final set 21-19!
It was the most games that have ever been played in a final set at any Grand Slam.
The match lasted over five hours and the last set alone was two hours 23 minutes!
You never know what's going to happen going into a match, then five hours later you still don't know.
Not only was it long and dramatic but I think the tennis was at a high level. We both played close to the best of our abilities.
It has taught me a lesson.
I've been in a few situations since then where I'm a set and a break of serve down.
But I say to myself: "You've been something way tougher than this before".
It's kind of the fear of the unknown, but once you've been out there five hours, it makes it easier if you go all the way in a match again.