Andy Murray to meet Juan Martin del Potro after beating Martin Klizan in four sets at the French Open
World No 1 edges testing second-round contest against Klizan to advance
Thursday 1 June 2017 20:52, UK
Andy Murray snuffed out the challenge of hard-hitting Martin Klizan to book a blockbuster third-round date with Juan Martin del Potro at the French Open.
The world No 1 came through an absorbing contest on a sweltering Court Suzanne Lenglen 6-7 (3-7 ) 6-2 6-2 7-6 (7-3).
Murray produced an encouraging four-set win over Andrey Kuznetsov in round one, but the early signs were not good against the dangerous Slovak.
He was forced to fight back from an early break down in the first set to take the fiery Klizan into a tiebreak. But the world No 50 took advantage of Murray's shaky serve to take it 7-3 after 64 minutes.
Klizan was involved in a controversy in his previous match after Laurent Lokoli accused him of faking injuries during their match, and refused to shake his hand, but the 27-year-old looked in a positive mood, playing with freedom and unloading his trademark thunderous forehands at every opportunity.
The Briton slowly fought his way back into a contest and a useful double break in the second set helped him level things up 6-2.
Murray's momentum continued in the next with a break in the opening game, with the use of the drop shot becoming more prevalent as the contest went on, and he soon wrapped it up with a replica 6-2 scoreline.
Klizan failed to take advantage of a break to take the contest into a decider as Murray turned things around to complete victory in a one-sided tiebreaker.
He will next play former US Open champion Del Potro in a mouth-watering clash for a place in the last 16.
Del Potro, playing Paris for the first time in five years after battling a series of wrist injuries, advanced after his Spanish opponent Nicolas Almagro was forced to retire during the third set due to a left knee injury.
In a moving conclusion to the match, Del Potro sat next to the stricken, sobbing Almagro on Court Two, offering him water while patting the head of the inconsolable 31-year-old.
The giant Argentine had also gone to the Spaniard's aid when he had collapsed at the back of the court, weeping, just moments earlier.
Del Potro had taken the first set of the second round clash 6-3 before Almagro claimed the next by the same score. They were locked at 1-1 in the third when Almagro quit.
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