Tuesday 15 March 2016

Murray makes early exit from California

After a fairly predicable Sunday, Indian Wells produced an immediate upset on Day 6 with 7th seed Belinda Bencic being shown the door by 97th ranked Slovakian Magdalena Rybarikova. Bencic appeared untroubled with a one set lead but Rybarikova struck back hard to take the next two and make the round of sixteen.
Meanwhile in a match expected to go either way, Czech Karolina Pliskova embarrassed Ana Ivanovic 6-2 6-0, winning twice as many points for the 'match'.
Vinci and Konta dispatched Svitolina and Allertova respectively and easily.

Bacsinszky and Stosur both won in three sets after stirring comebacks from Bouchard and McHale respectively.  McHale had a firm grip on the match, leading 3-0 in the third before Stosur belied her habit of falling in a heap and clinched the match 6-4 2-6 6-4.  Her good run will most likely end at the hands of Vika Azarenka in the fourth round.

But the shock of the whole tournament to date was the defeat of the men's number two seed Andy Murray by Argentina's 53rd ranked Federico Delbonis.  Federico won the first set before the Scot awoke and drew level, and most pundits thought that momentum and class would see Murray prevail, especially leading 4-1 in the decider.  However, Delbonis not only fought back but at 5-5 broke Andy's serve again and served for the match.  Predictably Murray managed to break back and a tie break was required.  Amazingly Federico dominated 7-3 to oust Andy 6-4 4-6 7-6. 

Bernard Tomic's wrist injury was bravely endured for a set against Milos Raonic but at 0-3 in the second, he pulled the plug and sadly it seems that the Aussie will also miss Miami in a cruel set-back to his run up the rankings.

In a match of entertainers, Richard Gasquet halted the brilliant 6-2 start by Alexandr Dolgopolov with two excellent sets of his own to reach the fourth round and a clash with Cilic.  

Along with Cilic, other winners were as expected - Wawrinka, Berdych, Monfils and Goffin, the latter having to extract himself from some bother created by Guido Pella.  Unlike for Murray the bother was only losing the first set to this Argentine.

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