Murray through after third-set scare
Originally published on 04/07/15
The 2013 champion received treatment on a shoulder problem early in the fourth set, but recovered to win 6-2 6-2 1-6 6-1 to set up a last-16 clash with Ivo Karlovic.
Murray looked to be cruising into the fourth round when he raced through the first two sets without facing a break point, but Seppi bounced back after receiving treatment on his right calf, winning eight of the next nine games to race through the third set and steal an early break in the fourth.
The Italian, who knocked out Roger Federer at the same stage at this year’s Australian Open, looked like he might pull off another major upset as Murray looked to be in some distress, winning just eight points on his own serve in the third set.
But after taking a medical timeout of his own, Murray broke back, winning the final six games to seal victory in two hours and eight minutes.
"At the end of the second set when I was serving, I was having a few issues with my serve," said Murray. "Then when he took the injury timeout, I came out and I was stiffer. I served two doublefaults in that game. I slowed my serve down and lost my way a bit. Then I had the trainer out snf had pretty big manipulation on my upper back. I served extremely well at the end."
After David Ferrer's withdrawal with an elbow injury and Rafael Nadal's shock defeat to Dustin Brown, Murray's path to the semi-finals has opened up. He will now meet world No.25 Karlovic, the big-serving Croatian who defeated No.13 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6(3) 4-6 7-6(2) 7-6(9). Murray has never lost to Karlovic in five previous encounters.
"It will be an extremely tough match," Murray said of his fourth-round opponent. "I'll need to be very sharp on my returns and try and find a way to get as many of his serves back in play as possible and see what happens".
The winner will meet either Viktor Troicki or Vasek Pospisil in the quarter-finals – Troicki defeated Nadal's conqueror Brown 6-4 7-6(3) 4-6 6-3, while Pospisil ended James Ward's run with a 6-4 3-6 2-6 6-3 8-6 victory on Court One.
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