World No.4 Andy Murray compiled the longest string of points in his career to surge into the third round at the Australian Open.
Murray trailed 5-1 in the third set of his match against French qualifier Vincent Millot and then won 23 consecutive points to take the match 6-2 6-2 7-5.
The 26-year-old said he didn’t think he’d ever had such a run.
“I would say that’s probably the most I’d ever won in my career by far,” Murray said of his post-midnight win.
“It’s very difficult to do, I don’t really know how I did it.”
Murray didn’t realise he won on track for such a stunning string until a fan called out he was up to 19, before he served out the match with a love game.
He said getting the result in straight sets was more important than anything else.
“I didn’t really care about winning 23 points in a row.
“I wanted to win the match and I’m glad it finished there because it was very hard conditions.”
The Scotsman is on the comeback trail after back surgery in September and with each match is growing as a threat for the title.
He cruised through the opening two sets, with Millot troubled by a calf injury late in the second.
The Frenchman, ranked 267, had an injury time-out and was treated by a physiotherapist.
It appeared to do the trick as, while he lost that set, he came out firing in the third and broke the Wimbledon champion twice to charge to a 5-1 lead and a set point.
That sparked Murray, who admitted he was motivated by Millot raising his arm to try to get the crowd on his side.
“I guess it does a little bit.
“I needed to raise my intensity a little bit because I didn’t respond as quick as I would have liked to him playing that well.”
Murray said he was thrilled to be back in Melbourne where he has been a three-time finalist, losing last year to Novak Djokovic.
“I love this tournament and I’ve been in the final three times so I’m going to do my best to win it,” he said.