The second-seeded Murray, who spent more than seven hours on court in the first two rounds, beat Ivo Karlovic 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (3) Friday.
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After expending considerable physical, emotional and mental energy battling from behind to beat Radek Stepanek and Mathias Bourgue in five sets in his first two matches, Murray knew he could not afford another epic.
The big-serving Croatian, also 37, beat Australian wildcard Jordan Thompson 6-7 (2) 6-3 7-6 (3) 6-7 (4) 12-10 in the longest match of the tournament so far to become the oldest man to reach the third round of a slam since Jimmy Connors in 1991. The match lasted just under two hours.
“He played an excellent match”, Murray said of the crowd favorite who flirted with the second Grand Slam victory of his career. “But he fought right to the end”. At least I get a day’s rest now. “I have had good success against him in the past and I have always enjoyed playing against serve and volleyers, normally”, Murray said.
“I didn’t really have any lapses today which in a match when there is not so much rhythm and even though it probably doesn’t seem like it from watching in the stands, you know every time you go up to serve, there is a little bit extra pressure because he’s such a hard guy to break”.
Bourgue took full advantage, reeling off eight straight games to transform Murray’s advantage into one of his own.
“But I have played these matches many times”. “To be able to take it from Ivanisevic, one of the greatest servers ever, was huge”, Karlovic said.
“John plays a bit more from the baseline, a bit more consistent from the back of the court”, Murray explained.
“Physically, the average rally length will only be a few shots – maybe three, four shots max”.
After consecutive five-setters in his first two rounds, the second seed gave a masterclass in nullifying the game’s biggest serve, breaking twice in succession at the start of the match to pave the way for a routine victory. “It’s not broken but if I keep playing it’s going to be broken the next couple of days”.
The third was a tighter affair, but with Karlovic unable to muster up a single break point, it was just a case of Murray grabbing a fourth break of serve when the chance came along or winning the tie-break.
“It obviously doesn’t happen that often where you’re struggling to win points”.
Murray served out the set to love after a stiff-looking Karlovic finally got on the board and the Scotsman carried on where he left off with a break in the opening game of the second set, forcing another error from his out-of-sorts opponent.
But Murray served out the set and then broke again at the start of the second, Karlovic slamming his racket disconsolately to the ground after missing a volley.
The Croat committed six – and unable to take Murray to break point, lost the set 6-1.
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Defending champion and third seed Stan Wawrinka defeated New York-born Taro Daniel of Japan 7-6 (9/7), 6-3, 6-4 and goes on to face France s Jeremy Chardy.
