Australian Open: Murray Through To 4th Round

ANDY Murray survived a determined challenge by Joao Sousa of Portugal in a night match in Margaret Court Arena. Sousa served very well during the contest, putting in 67 per cent of his first serves to remain in battle against one of the best service receivers in the game.

The Scot won 45 per cent of points on return of his opponent’s serve; and that made the difference in the match. It was the first time that Murray would concede a set to Sousa, in all their career match-ups on hard-courts

Murray started out cautiously and lost the first point but a net-cord saved him from losing the next. Sousa missed an overhead that would have given him break point. Murray held serve and survived another break point in the third game, which he took with a crosscourt forehand that just made the sideline. A break in the sixth game gave Murray a 4-2 lead. He held serve to take the sixth game. Down 15-30, Sousa had a chance to level points but he missed an easy put-away at the net to hand his opponent a break point which Murray sealed to take the set at 6-2.

Sousa won the first two points in the second set, Murray leveled at 30-all with a second service ace and survived a break point but lost the game on a forehand that sailed over the side line.

In the third game, Sousa held serve to lead 2-0, Murray missed the first three deliveries on his serve and a double fault put him in danger of a break. With an exchange of deuces, Murray survived to hold serve. Leading 40-30 in the fourth game, Sousa pulled Murray wide near the net but he struggled to reach the ball and send it between the net post and the umpire’s platform for a winner that drew a standing ovation.

Games went with serve until Sousa broke in the ninth game to take the set 6-3. Murray went up 3-0 in the third set, on a break of Sousa’s serve. Up 40-15 to reduce the tally, Sousa lost the game on the retrieving ability of Murray.

A double fault handed the Scot a second break for a 4-1 lead. He took the sixth game. Sousa came back from 0-30 to win the seventh game and reduce the tally, but Murray took his serve and the set by six games to two.

Sousa had game point in the first game of the fourth set but was forced to deuce. A netted forehand by Murray gave him the second opportunity and he took the game when his opponent’s shot sailed wide.

Murray got the break in the fifth game despite Sousa having two game points. It was a similar pattern in the seventh game that gave the Scot a 5-2 lead.

Serving for the match, he went up 15-0 on a service winner and conceded but one point before taking the game and the match. The epic battle lasted two hours and 37 minutes.