Well, that was pretty gruelling. Murray returned excellently, not just against the second serve, though he could perhaps have preyed more on Karlovic’s comparatively weak backhand. Karlovic’s serve is just ridiculous, or it was until it frayed a little in set four, and really he should be playing in an entirely different competition reserved for giants. Anyway, the Briton continues, Vasek Pospisil awaits in the quarters. I’m off. Bye!
Andy Murray’s post-match thoughts:
I came up with some good lobs, good passing shots today. I managed to keep him low, and by losing the lob well it kept him getting too close to the net, which meant I could use the angles a little bit more. An incredibly difficult match. Mentally it’s quite tiring. You have to focus on every point and be ready when the chance comes.
It’s getting the balance right. You don’t want to give him free points. He has a big forehand as well and it’s difficult to see where it’s going. I did the best I could and managed to get through and that’s what I wanted. It wasn’t necessarily going to be the best match today, it was about trying to get through.
I felt like I passed well. When he missed his first serve I returned well, and I’d get the return down to his feet.
Pospisil will be a tough match. He’s playing my brother in the doubles just now. He had a very close one with James Ward the other day, came back from two sets down today, so he may be a bit tired but also very confident. He’ll be feeling good about his game, he has a game that suits grass.
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It's all over! Andy Murray is a quarter-finalist!
Fourth set: Murray 7-6 (9-7), 6-4, 5-7, 5-4 Karlovic* (*denotes server of next game)
It starts excellently with a serve out wide, and then a backhand into the other corner that Karlovic can’t reach. The classic one-two. It continues less impressively, with a double fault. But a fine backhand volley makes it 30-15, and when Karlovic hits a backhand a foot long (he challenges anyway, and why not?) Murray has two more match points. He takes the first.
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Fourth set: Murray* 7-6 (9-7), 6-4, 5-7, 5-4 Karlovic (*denotes server of next game)
At 30-0 Murray lobs Karlovic yet again, this time without the need of backspin, the Croatian swishing wildly at the overhead, and again he follows it with another – his first on the backhand side and the most perfect of them all, landing right in the corner. An excellent forehand return then brings up break, set and match point. The first serve flies into the net; the second is hammered back, low to Karlovic’s left. It looks for all the world like a winner, but somehow he gets it back, lands his volley on the baseline and an astonished Murray sends the ball immediately into the net. A few moments later the game’s over. Murray will have to serve for this.
Fourth set: Murray 7-6 (9-7), 6-4, 5-7, 5-3 Karlovic* (*denotes server of next game)
After an unreturnable serve and an excellent forehand put Murray 30-0 up, he’s once again congratulating his opponent with a “yup” as the ball disappears down the line for a winner, and a double fault later it’s 30-30. In the next point Murray repeatedly sends the ball to Karlovic’s forehand, an inexplicable tactic which eventually leads to a break point. Murray misses with his first serve and, for the second time in this match, Karlovic runs around the second serve and sends his forehand wide. A couple more forehands later Karlovic has a second break point, which Murray saves with a forehand volley. A second-serve ace – two can play at that game – brings game point, and Murray takes it with an excellent backhand volley at full stretch. Interesting serve stats in this set: Karlovic is suddenly getting only 48% of his first serves in, having got 73%, 76% and 78% in the first three sets. Murray has faltered too – 81% in sets one and two, he slipped to 67% in set three and 70% in this set.
Fourth set: Murray* 7-6 (9-7), 6-4, 5-7, 4-3 Karlovic (*denotes server of next game)
Murray breaks! The game starts with a double fault, and proceeds with Murray chasing down a deft forehand volley for a winner. At 0-30, a chink of light appears for the Scot. Two big serves later it looks back to business as usual, only for Karlovic to send a backhand into the tape at the top of the net, and Murray has a break point. Karlovic seems to have won it with a backhand volley, but Murray challenges and Hawk-Eye show the ball landing a millimetre outside the line. Karlovic stands still, head bowed, disbelieving. Broken.
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Fourth set: Murray 7-6 (9-7), 6-4, 5-7, 3-3 Karlovic* (*denotes server of next game)
In the first point Murray seems to clip the ball just out of play, and challenges with a look of weary resignation, only for Hawk-Eye to show the ball clipping the line by a couple of millimetres. Reprieved, he wins the next point with three shots to Karlovic’s forehand – the first two are returned with interest, the third wasn’t expected at all – and then aces his way to three game points, of which he needs only the first.
@Simon_Burnton Nastase looks more like Augusto Pinochet in that clobber than the Roxy Music crooner
— Charlie Wright (@batterseaprince) July 6, 2015
He’s mixing up their two styles in unusual and not unenjoyable fashion, I’d say.
Fourth set: Murray* 7-6 (9-7), 6-4, 5-7, 2-3 Karlovic (*denotes server of next game)
Murray hits an excellent forehand passing shot here, but also a spectacularly poor one, mishit way wide and long. Here’s another highlight from Centre Court today. Jimenez is looking pretty special with just the greased-back hair and the shades, but to then actually fall asleep is very much the icing on a spectacular cake. I should point out that this picture is not a reflection on the quality of this match – it was taken during the Williams sisters’ family battle.
Fourth set: Murray 7-6 (9-7), 6-4, 5-7, 2-2 Karlovic* (*denotes server of next game)
Three excellent serves carry Murray to 40-15, and a weak return allows him to run to the net and pick his spot, with the game in his grasp. The spot he picks, though, is too close to Karlovic, who almost nonchalantly flicks the ball back over the net for a winner. Murray then hits a backhand into the net, and suddenly it’s deuce. Undeterred, he wins the next point with an ace, and the game with another of those topspun lobs he likes so much.
Fourth set: Murray* 7-6 (9-7), 6-4, 5-7, 1-2 Karlovic (*denotes server of next game)
At 30-30 Murray has a perfect chance to win a break point, but sends his attempted pass long from the middle of court, and Karlovic promtly aces to hold. Meanwhile, here’s what Ilie Nastase is wearing on centre court today. For all the unexpected uniform, he mainly looks like Bryan Ferry, no?
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Fourth set: Murray 7-6 (9-7), 6-4, 5-7, 1-1 Karlovic* (*denotes server of next game)
There’s a lovely backhand blocked return here from Karlovic, but it didn’t win him the point, and Murray too wins his first service game of the set to 15. Karlovic at least had to win his own point, with a backhand drop-volley.
Fourth set: Murray* 7-6 (9-7), 6-4, 5-7, 0-1 Karlovic (*denotes server of next game)
So much for Karlovic’s funk, then. He’s back in the match in most emphatic fashion, and reinforces the message by holding to 15, the 15 being gifted to Murray in the form of a double fault.
Karlovic takes the third set!
Third set: Murray 7-6 (9-7), 6-4, 5-7 Karlovic* (*denotes server of next game)
“Yep. Shot mate,” says Murray, as Karlovic’s backhand volley disappears out of reach to make it 0-15. The Scot wins the next couple of points with backhands, one down the line and the other across court, but then a Karlovic forehand has Murray giving up with a “Yeah.” While it’s kind of him to be encouraging, it seems potentially counterproductive. That’s 30-30, and Murray then nets another attempted backhand pass, and Karlovic has a break and set point. Murray hits his first serve into the net, and then a forehand long, and this will go into a fourth set!
Third set: Murray 7-6 (9-7), 6-4, 5-6 Karlovic* (*denotes server of next game)
As if to prove he’s not all about the serve, Karlovic wins a point with an ace, a point with a forehand, forces an error and then wins the last with a mishit off-the-frame volley that refuses to bounce. Total tennis.
Third set: Murray* 7-6 (9-7), 6-4, 5-5 Karlovic (*denotes server of next game)
Karlovic has control of the second point of this game, and eventually is left with a fairly straightforward forehand with which to win it. He inexplicably sends it long (after which he takes a 26-5 lead in unforced errors), but when Murray sends a second serve to that same forehand, it is hammered back past him in a heartbeat. Murray, for all that, holds to 15, and there’s a very strong feeling that another tie break looms.
Third set: Murray* 7-6 (9-7), 6-4, 4-5 Karlovic (*denotes server of next game)
Karlovic smacks down an ace to start the game, and Murray struts across court to prepare for the next serve cursing under his breath. He wins the next point with an excellent down-the-line pass, but then another ace, and another, make it 40-15, and though Murray takes another point, another ace wins the game. In other words, there were six points played in that game – Karlovic won four of them with aces, but when his serve wasn’t a winner, he was a loser.
Third set: Murray 7-6 (9-7), 6-4, 4-4 Karlovic* (*denotes server of next game)
At 30-0 Karlovic has the chance to hit a backhand probable winner down the line, but it goes into the net, and an overhit forehand ends the game – rather swiftly – in Murray’s favour.
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Third set: Murray* 7-6 (9-7), 6-4, 3-4 Karlovic (*denotes server of next game)
At 0-15 Murray nets an extremely returnable forehand return, and against an opponent who offers so few chances on his serve, it looks like a costly error – his reaction certainly suggests he thinks so. But then there’s a brilliant backhand pass, and he leaps upon a weak forehand serve to make it 15-40. He very nearly converts the first break point, despite an excellent approach shot from Karlovic, only for the Croat to reach his attempted pass and send his volley into an empty court. Another superstrength serves saves the second break point, and an ace later Murray nets another attempted pass and the game’s gone.
Third set: Murray 7-6 (9-7), 6-4, 3-3 Karlovic* (*denotes server of next game)
Murray shoots into a 40-0 lead, at which point Karlovic starts playing, reeling off a couple of forehand winners – I don’t think he’s hit many backhand winners today – to come right back into it. But then he totally mishits a second-serve return, which balloons way long, and the game’s gone.
Third set: Murray* 7-6 (9-7), 6-4, 2-3 Karlovic (*denotes server of next game)
Karlovic, already 15-0 up, hits his second serve perfectly down the middle, where it clips the outside of the line on its way through. Murray demands a Hawk-Eye replay, out of exasperation as much as anything else, but it’s a clean ace. Then Karlovic is foot-faulted, but hits another second-serve ace, and then a first-serve ace to finish the game. Really very silly, that serving.
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Third set: Murray 7-6 (9-7), 6-4, 2-2 Karlovic* (*denotes server of next game)
Murray’s serving has been interesting today, as he’s only rarely strained to hit it as fast as he could. He opens this game with a really soft one, and Karlovic lamely clips it into the top of the net. But from 30-0 Karlovic storms back into the game, wrongfooting Murray with a crosscourt forehand, slamming a vicious forehand out of Murray’s reach, and then hitting a shot that Murray is convinced goes long, but didn’t. That makes it 30-40, his second break point of the game, and he totally dominates the ensuing point, to such an extent that Murray is left on the baseline, hoping that Karlovic happens to hit his easy winner into his racket. Incredibly, Karlovic hits the easy winner into his racket. “Come on!” shouts the Scot, as the ball whistles into an open court and he goes down on one knee, pumping a fist skyward. A big save, this, for Murray.
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Third set: Murray* 7-6 (9-7), 6-4, 1-2 Karlovic (*denotes server of next game)
There’s a service winner and an ace for Karlovic as he takes a 40-0 lead, and though he then nets a volley he wins the game with another, clipped off his toes and across court. Still, Murray has won a point against Karlovic’s serve in this set, which is a start.
Third set: Murray 7-6 (9-7), 6-4, 1-1 Karlovic* (*denotes server of next game)
After starting the game with a service winner, Murray makes a rare voluntary movement netwards, and Karlovic is so surprised he hits the ball into the net for no apparent reason. Having lost a potential foothold in the game, he swiftly goes the whole hog and loses the game itself.
@Simon_Burnton too much info on your comfort break there
— EddieRooo (@eddierooo) July 6, 2015
Apologies.
Third set: Murray* 7-6 (9-7), 6-4, 0-1 Karlovic (*denotes server of next game)
I’ll be totally straight with you – I missed most of that game as a result of a comfort break. It was a brief one, too, which didn’t help. Held to love by Karlovic.
Murray takes a two-set lead!
Second set: Murray 7-6 (9-7), 6-4 Karlovic* (*denotes server of next game)
We get under way with a nice rally, which ends as soon as Karlovic reaches the net, doesn’t put his first volley away and watches Murray chase it down and send it down the line for a winner. An ace and an unreturnable first serve bring the Scot three set points. In the first Karlovic gets the ball back into play, but is left on the baseline, waving his arms above his head in an attempt to distract Murray as he prepares for a straightforward putaway. Murray is not distracted.
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Second set: Murray* 7-6 (9-7), 5-4 Karlovic (*denotes server of next game)
He was serving that time, so held to 15. Really, that serve is madness. The pace of it. The angles. Murray is returning brilliantly, but he has to touch the ball first. Anyway, the Scot now serves for the second set …
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Second set: Murray 7-6 (9-7), 5-3 Karlovic* (*denotes server of next game)
At 15-0 Karlovic hits an excellent approach, but Murray just chases it down and sends back a winner down the line. He’s in a special place right now, Karlovic hanging in there thanks to his ludicrous height and miracle serve. He wasn’t serving that game, though, so lost it to love.
Second set: Murray* 7-6 (9-7), 4-3 Karlovic (*denotes server of next game)
Another fine, topspun forehand pass and a resigned half-volley hit long give Murray a 0-30 lead, and a dipping, flicked crosscourt backhand takes it to 15-40. Karlovic seems to be entering a visible funk as events conspire against him, but then a strong first serve saves the first break point, an ace deals with No2, and a pair of unusually hostile second serves rescue the game. His serve remains amazing, but he just looks a bit down in the dumps at the moment, does Karlovic.
Second set: Murray 7-6 (9-7), 4-2 Karlovic* (*denotes server of next game)
Super stuff this from Murray, drawing Karlovic into the net and then beating him up when he gets there. The Croatian seems to realise this as well, hitting one volley with an air of something between nonchalance and why-should-I-bother? resignation, shortly before being passed.
Second set: Murray* 7-6 (9-7), 3-2 Karlovic (*denotes server of next game)
That’s a strong service game from Karlovic. Not merely a succession of aces, but strong serving and sure-footed volleying, to which Murray has no answer. “Much as I’m sure Karlovic (and Jon Isner) are lovely fellas, aren’t they a reminder of the bad old days at Wimbledon, when there were few rallies and most sets came down to the one game that wasn’t easily won by the server?” asks David Hopkins. “I remember a Sampras v Courier final that featured only one or two rallies worthy of the name.” Neither of those players were exactly one-dimensional, though, were they? Neither’s Karlovic, really, but I do think aces become rather unappealing after a while.
Second set: Murray 7-6 (9-7), 3-1 Karlovic* (*denotes server of next game)
Murray holds to love, with another successful lob along the way. In other news, Vasek Pospisil is next up for whoever wins this, having come back from two sets down to beat Viktor Troicki of Serbia 4-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 a short while ago.
Second set: Murray* 7-6 (9-7), 2-1 Karlovic (*denotes server of next game)
Karlovic starts the game with a service winner, and looks all set for 30-0 when a volley creeps over the net – only for Murray to chase it down and send the ball down the line for a winner. Another strong serve restores the advantage, but then Murray batters a second serve back for a winner – 30-30. At which, Karlovic slams down a couple of aces.
Second set: Murray 7-6 (9-7), 2-0 Karlovic* (*denotes server of next game)
Karlovic wins the first point with some fine net play, but his race from the baseline costs him the next couple, as Murray hits imperfect approach shots across court and out of reach of his advancing opponent. He serves a double fault on game point – “Focus, man!” is his cry – and Karlovic earns his first break point of the match with a drop volley that Murray can’t reach. It’s saved with a belter of a first serve, that clips the outside of the Croatian’s racket frame on its way past. A forehand long and a backhand into the net, and Murray holds. Karlovic is 18-4 ahead on unforced errors, the most telling statistic of the day so far.
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Second set: Murray* 7-6 (9-7), 1-0 Karlovic (*denotes server of next game)
Murray breaks! Really, Karlovic is serving excellently here and still losing, which suggests – correctly – that Murray has brought his returning A-game. The set starts with an ace, but that’s the Croatian’s last point of the game, which features his first double fault of the match, but otherwise not a single fault that wasn’t emphatically forced.
Andy Murray wins the first set!
First set: Murray 7-6 (9-7) Karlovic* (*denotes server of next game)
The first four points go with serve, Karlovic slicing a backhand approach shot into the net in the only real error of that run. The Croatian then takes the first mini-break, with a vicious and totally unreturnable crosscourt forehand, only to immediately overhit a volley, and a few points later Murray hits a lovely return that goes across court and lands at Karlovic’s feet. He can’t get the half-volley back, and Murray has a fifth set point, the first on his own serve. He hits his first effort long, though, and his second right into Karlovic’s hitting zone – he thunders his forehand across court, and it’s all square once again. Murray swiftly earns a sixth set point, but another ace saves it, and a seventh, brilliantly returning another serve out wide, and then chasing down a potentially winning volley. Again he misses his first serve, but Karlovic runs round the second to earn himself a forehand, only to spear it down the line and wide!
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First set: Murray 6-6 Karlovic
Murray lobs Karlovic! The Croatian doesn’t even move, as a massively topspun lob clears him by a distance and lands two feet inside the baseline. Then Karlovic approaches the net again, and Murray lobs him once more! And then again! The third one Karlovic reaches, but he sends his overhead just wide, and Murray has three set points. Karlovic saves the first, and also the second, with a ludicrous second serve out wide, and then the third, with an ace down the line. A 10th ace of the match gives Karlovic game point, and an 11th brings a tie break. That’s how to serve your way out of trouble. And into a tie break we go.
First set: Murray 6-5 Karlovic* (*denotes server of next game)
A frustrated Murray starts the game with the first double fault of the match, from either player. No matter – four first serves, of varying speeds, and a couple of misplaced forehands from Karlovic later the players are sitting down again.
First set: Murray* 5-5 Karlovic (*denotes server of next game)
Murray gets a set point! And misses it! It all starts with Murray chasing down a nice crosscourt drop-volley, though he can’t lift the ball over the net, and he then makes it 15-15 with an excellent backhand second-serve return across court, and promptly repeats the dose with a near-identical shot, this time from the forehand wing. Karlovic makes it 30-30 with a couple of strong volleys, but then another good return lands at his ankles, and Murray has break and set point! He saves it, inevitably, with an ace, and then produces another one to win the game, Murray having sent a second-serve return wide in between.
First set: Murray 5-4 Karlovic* (*denotes server of next game)
Another lightning game. Andy Murray hits his first ace of the match to go 15-0 up, and liked it so much he promptly hits another. Karlovic returns a second serve long to give Murray three game points, and then overcooks a lob to end it.
First set: Murray* 4-4 Karlovic (*denotes server of next game)
Karlovic’s wins the first point with an excellent serve, and he sends the next down the line and straight into the ducking bonce of the line judge, who waves that she’s fine. She can have a little sit-down now, though. That was a lightning service game – one ace and three service winners.
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First set: Murray 4-3 Karlovic* (*denotes server of next game)
Murray misses a first serve, his second of the match, dragging his first=serve percentage briefly down to 90%. There are also some lovely groundstrokes, the best a double-handed crosscourt backhand passing shot to set up game point at 40-30. Karlovic is far from downhearted by that, though, sending Murray from one wing to the other and back again on his way to winning the next point. The pair then trade wild forehands to return to deuce, before Murray leaps in the air mid-stroke to put the most topspin possible onto a forehand pass, and Karlovic hits long the end the game.
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First set: Murray* 3-3 Karlovic (*denotes server of next game)
Two second serves are gobbled up by Murray, who races to 0-30, and then he gets back one of those serves sent wide to his forehand, leading to an excellent point with both players at one stage at the net. Karlovic wins it with a lob volley, and then the next when Murray attempts to lob him from the baseline, which is an unusually tough ask. A strong second serve sets up game point, and then an ace to win it.
First set: Murray 3-2 Karlovic* (*denotes server of next game)
In an is-this-only-happening-to-me moment, my BBC1 feed starts to broadcast combined BBC1 and BBC2 audio, leading to lots of ball-hitting noises when I couldn’t see anybody hitting the ball, and a bit of puzzling-in-the-circumstances chat about Radwanska and Jankovic. It doesn’t put off Murray, though – who has the advantage of not having to watch this match on television, but the disadvantage of actually having to play in it – who holds to 30.
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First set: Murray* 2-2 Karlovic (*denotes server of next game)
Just the one ace here, but a display of horribly hostile serving from Karlovic, who wins the game to love in very short order. A doctor has sent me a comment on Murray’s physical health. “Andy Murray needs no interruptions today,” says Carey Wolfe, a specialis in sports and exercise medicine. “He has a muscle or ligament strain around the shoulder girdle or upper spine, which stiffened up against Andreas Seppi due to immobility and cooling down. It is good news that the soft tissue loosened up well with stretching work. A good warm up should allow Andy to continue his top game.” So there you go.
First set: Murray 2-1 Karlovic* (*denotes server of next game)
Murray keeps landing first serves – he’s so far running at 100% – and keeps winning points. Karlovic has a bullet forehand – he sends one flashing down the line and wide – but once rallies get going the No3 seed is living up to his superior ranking.
First set: Murray* 1-1 Karlovic (*denotes server of next game)
Classic serve and volley from the start from Karlovic, who starts with a strong, wide serve which Murray sends looping back into play, setting up a straightforward volley winner. The next serve to the deuce court also sends Murray wide, and doesn’t come back. But Murray wins the first two points on the other side, and sets up a break point with a backhand down-the-line winner from a second serve. At which point Karlovic wheels out his first ace, and follows it with a near miss that nearly takes out the line judge mid-scream. So it’s not all plain sailing, and he misses a pretty straightforward volley along the way, but then a couple more aces seal the game.
First set: Murray 1-0 Karlovic* (*denotes server of next game)
In fact it’s Murray who serves first, and the ludicrously long-limbed Karlovic sends his first return long, but then wins the next point with a beautifully angled crosscourt forehand. That’s very much the highlight of the Croatian’s game, who adds a couple more unforced errors, leaving Murray only needing to win one point for himself.
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The players sit down after their warm-up, with action very much about to happen.
“Tonight’s I’ll try to go to sleep as soon as possible,” reveals Murray on the BBC, in an interview filmed yesterday. Really, he did.
Murray’s already been on court today, if you count a bit of a knock-up followed by some extended post-training-session signing-and-selfie action.
Karlovic has won the toss, and though Tim Henman was chatting all over the BBC’s coverage of it, I’m guessing he’ll probably serve.
Out come the players, with a packed centre court (though the royal box seems rather deserted) standing to cheer them in.
Hello world!
So, as the Williams sisters pack their bags with the Serena Slam still very much on track, attention on Centre Court and around the tennis-viewing universe turns to Andy Murray’s latest Wimbledon adventure. A couple of key facts, then, before it gets under way:
- Murray has a 100% winning record in five matches against Karlovic, one of them played on grass. Karlovic has won three sets against Murray, all of them on tie breaks (precisely 50% of all sets played between Murray and Karlovic (seven, to be precise) have been decided by tie breaks).
- Murray played 87 games in winning his first three matches. Karlovic played 161. Weirdly, official statistics show Murray running a total of 6,007.4m on court so far, and Karlovic covering 5,900.7m, a little over 100m less.
- Murray has served 29 aces so far. Karlovic has served 136. One hundred and thirty six.
Anyway, and most importantly, welcome!
Good afternoon. Simon will be with you shortly as Andy Murray takes on the man with the mighty serve, Ivo Karlovic. How mighty? Kevin Mitchell has been looking at the numbers:
On Saturday, the 36-year-old Croatian became the first player in the history of the game to serve 40 or more aces three matches in a row when he put 41 of them past a bewildered Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to go with the 53 that dazzled Alexandr Dolgopolov last Wednesday and the 42 that the Swedish qualifier Elias Ymer had to endure in the first round.
That is 136 aces in three matches. Already this year he has hit 619 aces in 29 matches, 163 of them in seven outings on grass from Halle to Queen’s to Wimbledon. In 45 matches this season, Murray has hit 282 aces, with 36 from six on grass – so the disparity in penetration with ball in hand is stark enough.
Every time he goes to the service line, Karlovic has high expectations: in his 512 matches on the Tour, he has won his first serve 22,662 times, and he needs just 387 more aces for a career total of 10,000. Another 184 after that mark will take him beyond the all-time record held by Goran Ivanisevic.
Few hit the ball faster than Karlovic. Only Sam Groth (147mph), Milos Raonic (140mph), John Isner (140mph) and Kevin Anderson (138mph) have bettered his and Grigor Dimitrov’s 137mph efforts at these championships. Only Anderson and Karlovic of this sextet have reached the second week, and it is Murray’s task in the fourth round to see if he can beat the Croatian for the sixth time in a row.
You can read the full story here.
