There is only one match that really matters to Andy Murray at Wimbledon: the final. He has been in two of them, first wrestling with the bitterness of defeat by Roger Federer in 2012, then savouring the sweet triumph over Novak Djokovic the following year, as if the experience were a trial of his resolve.
On a deceptively mild Monday afternoon, then, with a capricious breeze to sooth his reddening brow, he endured another hazardous part of the journey leading towards the ultimate test of his character, when he laboured for just over three hours to beat the Croatian mountain masquerading as a tennis player, Ivo Karlovic.
Karlovic is a remarkable athlete. The physical advantage of a lithe, taut frame that stands 6ft 11in when stationary and extends perhaps another couple of feet towards the clouds when animated, is also the very vehicle of his demise. While he can routinely belt a tennis ball across the net at up around 135mph – as he did here many times in adding 29 aces to the 136 he had accrued in the first week – his crane-like legs do not always serve him well on the turn.
And, in fashioning an artful, occasionally magnificent exhibition of defensive tennis to win 7-6, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 and secure a place in the quarter-finals for the eighth year in a row, Murray turned the big man as if he were calling Dick Whittington’s cat. If winning grand slam titles was easy, Murray would be in the wrong job.
Only Federer of this generation brings ease of execution to a sport riddled with difficulties for even the very best. So there was inevitability about a win that began in struggle, moved smoothly through dominance, back to anxiety and finished in tightly orchestrated drama. He had to resist four of those booming aces in the first 20 minutes and time and again was frustrated as Karlovic got out of trouble with his serve.
But the 36-year-old Croatian, the oldest player left in the draw after three rounds, also showed several delightful bits of touch, none sweeter than a back-hand half-volley struck behind his spindly legs in the closing moments that delivered Murray one final sliver of angst.
In the beginning it was all high-energy blasting. It is difficult to recall a rally that lasted longer than five shots in the first quarter of an hour.
And the Croatian’s fifth ace, 134mph down the middle, banged the woman calling the lines on her head and set up his 40-love hold to level in the eighth game after half an hour.
Subtlety arrived in the 12th game, when Murray twice lobbed his towering obstacle, then forced an error from him with a third effort, en route to a tie-break where the serve, surely, was favoured to prevail.
It was the 563rd of Karlovic’s career, almost twice as many as Murray’s, and his 36th of the year (to Murray’s 15). This was Ivoland. But Murray forced an overcooked forehand to take the shootout.
The second set was far more straightforward, Murray striking his fourth ace on his way to going 2-0 after an hour and a half.
When they last met here, in the second round in 2012, Karlovic was positively red-lining with anger after being foot-faulted 11 times on his way to defeat.
On Monday, it happened again – thankfully just once, and he aced to stay in touch in the third set. Maybe that was the spur he needed. By the end of the frame, he was on fire, and they went to a fourth.
In the home stretch, which lasted 42 minutes, Karlovic still gave Murray occasional fits and it was not until near the end where the world No3 dipped further into his bag of class to make his obdurate opponent err for the 32nd and final time, hitting tired and long.
“I came up with some good lobs, passing shots, able to use the angles a bit more, trying to keep him from coming to the net so much,” Murray said courtside.
“Physically it is quite quick but mentally it is very tiring. It wasn’t going to be the best tennis, but I felt like I passed well. When he missed his first serve, I got the return on his second serve to his feet.
Murray at least has what should be a less physically demanding assignment in the quarter-finals on Wednesday, against Vasek Pospisil, who has not taken a set off him in their three matches.
The young Canadian earlier endured his third consecutive five-setter to beat Viktor Troicki 4-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 over two hours and 39 minutes on Court 12.
Murray said: “Pospisil is a tough match. He had a very close match with James Ward, came back from two sets to love today. He might be a little tired but confident for coming back. He has a game that suits grass, likes to come to the net, big serve.”
If the 25-year-old Pospisil is leg weary on Wednesday, he will have good reason. After beating Troicki, he returned to Court 12 to partner the American Jack Sock in a third-round doubles match against Murray’s brother, Jamie, and the Australian John Peers. They kept Pospisil out there for almost three and a half hours, winning 8-6 in the fifth set – that’s brotherly love for you.
