Adrian Mannarino, take a bow.
For while he might be 35 years old, Mannarino is playing the best tennis of his life.
The French veteran reached the fourth round of the Australian Open in 2022 for the first time, and he matched that on Friday night by overcoming last year’s quarterfinalist and 16th seed Ben Shelton in four hours and 39 minutes – the third-longest match of the tournament so far.
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Mannarino won 7-6(4) 1-6 6-7(2) 6-3 6-4 in a supremely exciting match, his third five-setter in a row, but somehow looked fitter at the end than his 21-year-old opponent.
Yes, that’s right, Mannarin’s third five-setter in a row as the Australian Open’s marathon man.
“In the end I wasn’t even thinking anymore. That was crazy at some point,” he said.
Then he delivered an all-time answer.
Adam Peacock asked: “What’s the key to getting better when you’re supposed to be too old?”
Mannarino replied: “I started tequila. That helps to not think too much.”
Shelton said afterwards: “It was one of the greatest atmospheres in a match I’ve ever played in. You’re right, a lot of USA chants. A lot of chants for France for five hours straight. Pretty unheard of. Just the level of noise for the whole five sets.”
A match that will go down as one of the best of the tournament got the tennis world talking on social media, with Mannarino already one of the great stories of the 2024 Australian Open.
Next up – a showdown with world No. 1 Novak Djokovic on Sunday.
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