TENNIS – World Number 3 and second-seed Andy Murray beat Phillip Kohlschreiber for the second time in three days with 6-4 3-6 6-0 in the re-match of last Monday’s final in Munich where the Scotsman clinched the first title on clay. Diego Sampaolo
The match started early in the morning well after midnight after a very long day which featured a lot of marathon matches on the “Magic Box” as the Sharapova v Garcia, Williams v Azarenka, Federer v Kyrgios and Kuznetsova v Stosur all went the distance. This was Murray and Kohlschreiber’s second meeting in just three days after their three-set Munich final where Murray prevailed in the tie-break of the third set.
Murray, winner in Madrid back in 2008 when this tournament was held on indoor hardcourt in the fall, stormed out to 3-0 in the opening set with two breaks of serve. Kohlschreiber recovered one of the two breaks but Murray held his next service games to close it out 6-4. Kohlschreiber broke serve at the start of the second set and won the first three games of the second set to take a 3-0 lead. Murray got a break point chance in the fifth game but Kohlschreiber saved it with his serve. Murray broke back but Kohlschreiber broke serve again en route to winning the second set with 6-3 to draw level on sets. Murray broke serve three times and reeled off 14 consecutive points to win the final set with a bagel at 3:00 a.m in the morning. It’s not a record for a tennis match, as Lleyton Hewitt and Marcos Bagdatis finished at 4:34 am at the 2008 Australian Open
Murray capitalized on 6 of his 11 break points. In the third round he e will face Marcel Granollers who battled past Gael Monfils after a hard-fought match with 7-6 (8-6) 6-7 (7-9) 6-4 after over three hour.
Earlier in the night Kei Nishikori overcame David Goffin 6-2 4-6 6-4. The Japanese star fended off two of the four break points he faced. Nishikori broke serve in the first game with a cross-curt passing shot before getting a second consecutive break to seal the second set with 6-2. Goffin, the ATP Comeback Player of the Year in 2014, bounced back in the second set and broke serve in the 10th game to win 6-4 forcing the match to the third set. The third set was decided in the ninth game where Nishikori recovered from 15-40 on Goffin’s serve to take the break at deuce. Nishikori will face Roberto Bautista Agut, who beat Sam Querrey 7-5 6-4.
