By Chris Oddo | Thursday January 19, 2017
Andy Murray eased past Sam Querrey to book his spot in the round of 16.
Photo Source: Mark Peterson/Corleve
Reading Sam Querrey’s serves and volleys like a literature grad student devours the classics, Andy Murray remained one step—and oftentimes two—steps ahead of Querrey for the duration of their one hour and 59 minute encounter on Hisense on Day 5.
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The result? A commanding 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 victory over the American and a thunderbolt message across the bows of the rest of the draw: Murray is not primed for an upset like his rival Novak Djokovic suffered on Day 4.
With the buzz barely died down from Denis Istomin’s five-set win over the six-time champion, Murray assumed his role as the new consensus favorite by not giving Querrey a foothold in this match. They were close for eight games in the first set, but once Murray drew first blood he was off and running to the finish line.
Murray saved a break point to hold for 4-4 in set one then proceeded to break Querrey in three of his next four service games. In the end Murray would out-ace the hard-serving American 8-5 and out-winner him 40-31.
With those numbers, and Murray’s cerebral and mobility advantages, Querrey was left sinking into a hole that he could never get out of.
He tried, and even managed a break to get back on serve in set three, but Murray by then was in too positive a headspace to be denied a straight-sets victory.
He finished his victory, which ties him for 4th on the all-time Australian Open win list (along with his coach Ivan Lendl and Andre Agassi) with 48, and will prepare to face Mischa Zverev in the round of 16.
Zverev, the older brother of Alexander Zverev, reached the round of 16 at a major for the first time with a four-set win over Malek Jaziri.
In other action on Day 5, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga ousted Jack Sock in four sets while Stan Wawrinka moved past Viktor Troicki in four sets. Andreas Seppi, who knocked out Nick Kyrgios on Day 3, defeated Steve Darcis in four sets.
Wawrinka will face Seppi in the fourth round, while Tsonga awaits the Tomic-Evans winner.