Stephens, who has reached the round of 16 at Roland Garros in each of the past four years, made a slow start but won 17 consecutive points after trailing 6-5, 15-30 on her serve in the first set.
Advertisement
The Scot was happy to be facing 6ft 11in Ivo Karlovic because it meant short rallies, and that was exactly how it panned out. Bourges, who last week lost in the qualifying rounds of the Nice Open, has not played more than three sets previously, and it began to show.
Big-serving Karlovic struggled to find his rhythm early on and Murray took full advantage by forcing breaks in the 27th seed’s opening service games in each of the first two sets before clinching a 6-1 6-4 7-6 (5) win following a tie-break in the third.
The world No 164, who had never previously faced a top 50 opponent, played the match of his life, winning eight games in a row as he took the second and third sets with some thrilling tennis, though he also capitalised on some listless play by Murray.
“Obviously any match you play, the quicker you get it done, the better, especially in these events when the best of five it can go long”, Murray told the media after reaching the. He fought right to the end and made it very tough.
‘The return is the strongest part of my game but it’s not always up to you against him, I tried to stay patient and take care of my own service games’.
With so much media focus on Murray following his split with his coach, Amelie Mauresmo, and all the talk of his emotional on-court behaviour, it has clearly been a stressful last few days for him.
Murray’s answer? Filet du boeuf avec maison frites et salade verte – steak and chips with a green salad.
“He’s already had two five-set matches so I don’t think he’ll be at his 100 percent”. Stan Wawrinka has clearly won his match against French tennis player Jeremy Chardy in three sets, playing well both with his forehand and with his backhand.
Karlovic had hit 72 aces in his first two matches, but managed just 14 here and left the court knowing he had been thoroughly outplayed.
“Downsizing the 6’11” Karlovic may seem like the ideal stepping stone to defusing another explosive server, 6’10” John Isner, whom Murray faces next.
Karlovic is the oldest man in the French Open third round since 38-year-old Jimmy Connors in 1991. With 9 winners in that set to Karlovic’s 8, it’s in the fact that Murray committed only a single unforced error.
Bourgue showed his grit to win two games in a row before unleashing his 25th backhand victor of the contest, but Murray was unfazed and claimed victory when the Frenchman drilled the ball into the net.
Murray was pushed to his very limit in a draining first week but looked to make swift work of the big-hitting Karlovic, breaking the Croat in the first game and taking the first set inside 25 minutes.
But he made a ideal start to the tie-break with a dinked backhand pass that left Karlovic motionless at the net, and never looked in danger after that.
Advertisement
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.
