Andy Murray's attempt to claim a place in the world's top three remains on course after a battling 6-4 6-4 victory over Nicolas Massu at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami.
Andy Murray's attempt to claim a place in the world's top three remains on course after a battling 6-4 6-4 victory over Nicolas Massu at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami.
Massu, a former top-10 player now ranked 91, produced a series of trademark blistering forehands to dominate much of the opening set but lost his temper and focus to hand Murray an eventually comfortable win.
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The British number one will now face Serbia's Viktor Troicki in round four ahead of a possible rematch with Fernando Verdasco, the man who defeated him at the Australian Open, in the quarter-finals.
Chilean Massu was the first to make his mark on the match when, after holding serve in the opening game, he broke Murray at the first opportunity to move 2-0 ahead.
Massu had won just a single match this year prior to his victories over Americans Ryan Sweeting and Mardy Fish in Florida, but his powerful array of shots proved too much for an unsettled Murray early on.
The Scot spurned his first break chance in the third game before finally getting on the board in the fourth - albeit thanks to the closest of hawk-eye challenges at 40-30.
And Murray's momentum built further as he converted the second of two break points when the 2004 double Olympic champion sent a forehand wide and long.
Massu continued to play some breathtaking shots but was being scuppered by a high error count - typified by a routine mid-court forehand which he needlessly hit out, via the net chord, to hand Murray a second break for 4-3.
Sania wins
Sania Mirza and partner Chia Jung Chuang beat Maria Kirilenko and Flavia Pennetta in the second round of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami yesterday.
After losing the first set, Mirza and Chuang foutgh tooth and nail to win 4-6, 7-6, 10-4.
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