By Chris Oddo | Saturday March 11, 2017
Canadian qualifier Vasek Pospisil stunned World No.1 Andy Murray to reach the third round at Indian Wells.
Photo Source: Clive Brunskill/Getty
Top-seeded Andy Murray was sent packing from the BNP Paribas Open by Canadian qualifier Vasek Pospisil, 6-4, 7-6(5). The victory for Pospisil cracks a giant crater in the top half of the men’s singles draw, as the two highest seeds in Murray’s quarter both were upset on a busy Saturday at Indian Wells.
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No.7-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was upset earlier on the same court. He fell to Italy’s Fabio Fognini, 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-4.
It started innocently enough, with Murray breaking and eventually holding a 4-2 lead, but Pospisil, ranked 129 in the world but a former World No. 25, responded quickly and won the next six games to take a 6-4, 2-0 lead.
Murray replied in rapid fashion, breaking back for 2-all in set two and then nudging ahead 3-2, but Pospisil never cowered. He continued to play aggressive tennis, coming to net behind serves and groundstrokes whenever he got the opportunity.
"I had a tough year last year for many, many different reasons," Pospisil said. "I feel the last couple months I really found my hunger and my motivation to be back on the court training hard again."
Murray is known as an excellent defuser of serve-and-volley players but he has now fallen to Mischa Zverev and Pospisil in 2017, putting a small crack in the theory that he’s invincible against net rushers.
Murray believes that it was his own serve that was the bigger problem.
“I have never really practiced playing against serve-and-volleyers in my career,” he said. “But when I have come up against them, it's normally been a game style I have enjoyed playing against. You know, today it wasn't so much the serve/volley that was the problem. It was my own serve, you know, rather than not sort of getting enough opportunities when he was serving. So I think that was more the problem tonight.”
Posipisil came through a few tense service games to force the tiebreaker, and then raced out to a 6-2 lead. Murray saved three match points but was beaten on serve in the final point when Pospisil cracked a crosscourt forehand winner.
"Obviously to beat the No. 1 player in the world is incredible," Pospisil said. "I mean, it's the biggest win of my career, and I'm just thrilled right now."
Murray falls to 25-12 lifetime at Indian Wells. The 2009 runner-up fell in the third round last year.
Pospisil advances to face Dusan Lajovic of Serbia in the third round. The world No. 160 upset No.30-seeded Feliciano Lopez, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(2).