Not since Gaston Gaudio in 2004 has a man been taken to five sets in each of the French Open’s first two rounds and gone on to lift the trophy. In the next round, the Canadian will meet Alberto Ramos, who defeatedAmerican tennis player Jack Sock after a very hard battle ended at the fifth set.
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No player has won a grand slam title in the Open era having played more than three five-set matches during the tournament, while it is the first time in more than a decade Murray has played back-to-back five-setters.
If Murray goes on to win the title he would be the first to do so after playing five-set matches in the first two rounds since Gaston Gaudio in 2004. Of greater concern – certainly to Murray and to fans of his and of tennis – is how he gets out of this first week with his game intact. The third set proved tighter but Murray found the difference in the breaker.
It’s the Scot all the way down!
They present different tactical approaches for Murray, who spread the court effectively testing Karlovic laterally and will likely use his angled slice backhand at times to drag Isner forward.
Murray is on a roll!
Karlovic is starting to enjoy a lot more success with his serve, and a belting ace followed by two errant returns sees him race into a 40-0 lead.
He dismissed suggestions additional pressure on Murray this year was playing on his mind – “he expects to win every year, not just this year” – but accepted the Rome performance against Djokovic in particular may have had an impact. Andy Murray is fresh from two encounters with Djokovic.
The second-seeded Murray already has been pushed to five sets twice in Paris.
For the Karlovic game is built on his extraordinary height and consequent serving prowess, so rallies are short, but he can also take the game out of an opponent’s hands.
However, Murray stifled Karlovic’s serve and held steady on his own to take the tiebreak 7-3 in relatively routine fashion and win the match in the process. And now, as he pummels a drop shot into Murray’s side of the court, Karlovic avoids being bageled, holding his service.
If ever he needed a quick break in the first week of a major championship it is now. Even the hint of a Karlovic comeback was quickly squashed after Murray had gone 0-30 down when serving at 4-3. He’s looking more comfortable than his earlier games, and is also not hampered by the bad weather that plagued him earlier.
But after needing to play on three consecutive days, the new father sought to clear his head yesterday by taking time out with wife Kim and new baby Sophia. Though he didn’t truly humiliate Karlovic with it he nevertheless forced a tame reply, which he easily dispatched to take a 3-1 lead.
Karlovic, at 37 years of age, is the oldest player at the French Open, and his fitness levels are not on par with Murray’s.
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The Croat is yet to beat Murray in the 6 times the pair have faced off in the past; the two have never faced off on clay, however, so this could get interesting.
