Bad-tempered Murray through to Indian Wells fourth round
Wednesday, 19 Mar 2008 09:10
Andy Murray beats Ivo Karlovic in Indian Wells third round
Andy Murray overcame bouts of his own bad temper to beat Ivo Karlovic and reach the fourth round of the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells.
The 11th seed won 7-6 (9/7) 6-7 (3/7) 6-3 to set up a meeting with Germany's Tommy Haas in the next round and a potential clash with Roger Federer in the quarter-finals.
But Murray's victory over giant Croatian Karlovic was characterised by the UK number one losing his temper as his frustrations with his own game boiled over.
The 20-year-old was broken in each of the first two sets, although in the first he took the tiebreak on a fourth set point.
Karlovic won the second set on a closer tiebreak than the 7/3 score suggested but Murray broke early for a 2-0 lead in the decider.
Murray then triumphed in the game's most exciting rally to put himself within one game of the fourth round, which he subsequently served out.
Speaking after the game, the Scot acknowledged his disappointment at his own attitude, despite the win.
"I was getting really angry and I haven't done that this year," he said.
Murray continued: "I was just in a bad frame of mind and you can sometimes snap out of it, but when you're playing someone who is as frustrating to play against as him, it's difficult.
"I was just happy with the way I came through in the end because I was not focusing as well as I should have been."
Haas, Murray's opponent in the next round, won his third round tie against Spain's Fernando Verdasco.