Murray reaches French Open last 16
| French Open |
|---|
| Venue: Roland Garros, Paris Dates: 22 May to 5 June |
| Coverage: Live radio and text commentary on selected matches on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, the BBC Sport website and app. |
Andy Murray eased into the last 16 of the French Open with a straight-set victory over big-serving Ivo Karlovic.
The British number one, who has reached the semi-finals in each of the past two years, was dominant in recording a 6-1 6-4 7-6 (7-3) win.
He broke Karlovic’s opening serve in each of the first two sets before sealing victory in a tie-break.
The Scot will play either American John Isner or Russia’s Teymuraz Gabashvili in the next round at Roland Garros.
“It was very close, especially in the third set,” Murray said. “He fought right to the end.
“I started quickly and obviously it is great to get off court in a relatively quick match.”
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Murray was understandably delighted to win in swift time – he wrapped up the first set in 24 minutes and the second in 39 – after a difficult start to the tournament.
He was taken to five sets by both Radek Stepanek and Mathias Bourgue in the opening two rounds, but was quick to take control in this match.
He set the tone with an outrageous lob over 6ft 11in Karlovic on his way to breaking the 37-year-old in his opening service game.
That tactic continued to pay dividends for Murray as he drew the Croat to the net and deftly clipped the ball out of his reach on a number of occasions.
Karlovic, the oldest player to reach the third round of a Grand Slam since Jimmy Connors in 1991, was more resolute in the final set but Murray bided his time before finishing the job in the tie-break.
His opponent did not have a single chance to break serve in the entire match.
It was a far from taxing contest, with the short rallies welcome after previous exertions. Of the 174 points the two played, only 22 comprised more than four shots.
| Murray’s gold service | ||
|---|---|---|
| On tour this year | Against Karlovic | |
| 61 | First serves in (%) | 75 |
| 75 | % of pts won off first serve | 88 |
| 52 | % of pts won off second serve | 57 |
Analysis
BBC Sport tennis correspondent Russell Fuller
“Murray played like a man who had an excellent night’s sleep. His serve was back in the groove and the belief back in his groundstrokes.
“He did not face a single break point, and played a very composed tie-break to complete the quick win he so craved: chasing a lob to hit a backhand crosscourt winner in the first point of the tie-break provided the spark required.
“Karlovic took a while to find his rhythm on serve (hardly surprising at the age of 37 and after a four-and-a-half-hour match on Wednesday), but he became increasingly fluent and it was notable how Murray was able to maintain his high level from beginning to end.”
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