Key double fault helps Andy Murray beat Juan Martin del Potro at French Open
Briton needs nearly three hours to get past Argentinian to reach fourth round
Andy Murray benefited from a double fault by Juan Martin del Potro in the opening tiebreaker and then looked more and more like the No 1 player that he is during a 7-6 (10-8), 7-5, 6-0 victory at the French Open on Saturday.
The third-round match between a pair of past major champions was much tighter than the straight-set scoreline might indicate.
“Yeah, I expected a very tough match. And the first set was very, very important, I think, for the rest of the match. Whoever had won that first set had big momentum,” Murray said. “In these conditions, when it’s slow and heavy, to be coming back is difficult.”
He needed nearly three hours to get past the 29th-seeded Del Potro at Court Philippe Chatrier under a cloud-filled sky. It was a rematch of the 2016 Rio Olympics gold-medal final won by Murray.
Del Potro had four set points in the opening set but lost each one, including that key double fault while ahead 7-6 in the tiebreaker. After Murray converted a third set point of his own when his opponent’s big forehand landed barely wide, Del Potro rested his head on the net and stayed put for several seconds, the very picture of disappointment.