Murray wins first match at Japan Open
TOP seed Andy Murray survived 18 aces in a battle of serves with Ivo Karlovic, with the Scottish defending champion posting a 7-6 (9-7) 6-4 win yesterday to start his title defence at the Japan Open.
Murray, who won the US Open last month, is playing for the first time since his New York triumph. The ATP No 3 won three titles in as many weeks a year ago in Asia and is defending a mass of computer points. Karlovic came into the field as a lucky loser when Gael Monfils, Murray’s original opponent, had to withdraw with a knee injury and return to Paris.
Murray matched Karlovic on court in their contest of nearly an hour and three-quarters, with the Scot producing nine aces but never facing a break point. He next faces Slovak Lukas Lacko.
Murray has now improved to a perfect 5-0 over Karlovic, winning his 48th match of the season against 11 losses.
London Olympic gold medallist Murray claimed the first set on a winning pass after saving a Karlovic set point. In the second, Murray and Karlovic hit a succession of big serves to yield five love games from six played.
Murray got his winning chance leading 6-5 as he passed Karlovic for 30-0 on the Croatian’s serve, with Karlovic then putting a backhand out to give Murray three match points.
Karlovic saved the first two before taking the loss with an error on the third.
In other news, sixth seed Milos Raonic of Canada, who has lost in his past two Tokyo appearances in the second round to Rafael Nadal, advanced over Czech Radek Stepanek 6-4 6-4.
Home hero and eighth seed Kei Nishikori started with a 4-6 62 6-3 comeback win over fellow Japanese Go Soeda.
Spain’s Tommy Robredo beat Jarkko Nieminen 6-2 6-4 after the Finn had lost a Bangkok semifinal at the weekend. Qualifier Dmitry Tursunov beat Australian Bernard Tomic 6-4 7-5. Marcos Baghdatis overcame Sergiy Stakhovsky of the Ukraine 7-6 (7-3) 7-5.
Meanwhile, Chinese star Li Na brushed aside on-form Nadia Petrova of Russia in straight sets yesterday to progress to the last 16 of the China Open in Beijing.
Asia’s top women’s player, who needs a strong showing this week to qualify for the WTA Championships in Istanbul later this month, won the match convincingly 6-1 6-2.
It was Li’s first win against Petrova, who triumphed at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo on Saturday, in seven attempts.
“That’s the charm in playing tennis. Every day you can challenge yourself,” Li said.
“You are defeated consecutively, but it doesn’t mean you are defeated by her all the time. This is sport. You never know what’s going to happen. I’m very much glad to see that I’m still making progress in this match.”
Li, who has never won her home tournament, played at a frenetic pace throughout, breaking her opponent’s serve twice in the first set and three times in the second. Li was broken just once — in the sixth game of the second set, which lasted more than 13 minutes — and served consistently better than Petrova, hitting five aces to her opponent’s one.
Li, ranked eighth in the world and seeded seventh in Beijing, will play compatriot Peng Shuai in the third round of the tournament — the fourth and final compulsory event of the women’s calendar.
Asia’s only Grand Slam winner is in eighth position in the race to compete at the $4.9m end-ofseason championships, featuring this year’s top eight players — two places ahead of France’s player Marion Bartoli.
Bartoli, the China Open’s ninth seed, also progressed yesterday, defeating Ayumi Morita of Japan 6-4 6-3 while Spain’s Lourdes Dominguez Lino knocked out Britain’s Laura Robson 7-5 6-3. Sapa-DPA, Sapa-AFP