Top-seeded Murray beats Klizan in 3 sets in Vienna opener

Top-seeded Andy Murray lost a set for the first time in 11 matches as he beat Martin Klizan of Slovakia 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-0 in the opening round of the Erste Bank Open yesterday.

The second-ranked Scot, who won the event two years ago, came off back-to-back tournaments wins without dropping a set in Beijing and Shanghai.

Murray saved three break points in the opening game but his serve came not under threat for the rest of the first set.

He broke Klizan early in the second but dropped serve in an error-strewn game at 4-2. Murray was broken again when serving for the match at 6-5 and lost the tiebreaker from 5-4 up.

Murray conceded just two points on own serve in the final set. He will next play Gilles Simon of France.

Ivo Karlovic of Croatia and John Isner of the United States became the first players to advance to the quarterfinals.

The eighth-seeded Karlovic came back from 5-1 down in the final set to beat Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia-Hercegovina 7-6 (6), 46, 7-6 (5).

Earlier, Isner beat former cham- pion Feliciano Lopez 7-6 (1), 3-6, 7-6 (2). The 27th-ranked American failed to break the Spaniard’s serve and missed a match point at 5-4 and again at 6-5 in the final set. Isner dominated the tiebreaker and closed out the win on his 31st ace.

“The match was so close. My serve helped me a lot,” said Isner, who will play Murray or Simon in his fifth quarterfinal of the season.

In first-round play, Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany rallied to beat Stephane Robert of France 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3), and Albert Ramos-Vinolas of Spain advanced with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Italy’s Fabio Fognini, who had not lost to Ramos-Vinolas in eight previous matches.

Kei Nishikori advances to Swiss Indoors quarterfinals

Kei Nishikori eased past Paolo Lorenzi of Italy 7-6 (3), 6-2 in the Swiss Indoors second round yesterday.

The third-seeded Japanese player did not take any of his six break point chances in an errorstrewn first set, and then upped his play in the second against the 38th-ranked Lorenzi.

Earlier, seventh-seeded Richard Gasquet of France retired when trailing 6-2, 2-1 against Argentina’s Guido Pella. Gasquet won the Antwerp title on Sunday.

Juan Martin del Potro was playing Robin Haase in a late match.

Kuznetsova makes semis at WTA Finals after beating Pliskova

Svetlana Kuznetsova became the first player to reach the last four of the WTA Finals after sealing her second round-robin victory this week, beating Karolina Pliskova yesterday.

Kuznetsova fell to the ground, smiling, after securing a 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (6) win on a fourth match point.

“I felt the support of the crowd and I couldn't let anyone down,” said Kuznetsova, who at 22-8 has the most three-set match wins this year. “So I had to fight.”

When defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska prevailed over Garbine Muguruza 7-6 (1), 6-3 in the second match, the Pole's win guaranteed Kuznetsova's progress in the competition.