Del Potro Survives Major Scare; Murray Records Straight Sets Win

© Getty ImagesAndy Murray's best performance at the Australian Open came in 2007 when he reached the fourth round.

Fourth-seeded Argentine Juan Martin del Potro experienced a major scare Wednesday, in his quest to become the first man in the Open Era to win his first two Grand Slam titles back-to-back.

The 21-year-old del Potro, who defeated Roger Federer for the US Open title in September last year, withstood 16 aces and 81 winners from American James Blake’s racquet to record a 6-3, 6-7(3), 5-7, 6-3, 10-8 victory in four hours and 17 minutes for a place in the Australian Open third round.

Del Potro converted seven of 22 break point opportunities, won 21 of 29 points on approach to the net, hit 19 aces and 69 winners. Last year, he reached the quarter-finals (l. to Federer).

Blake, 30, who was playing in the second round for the ninth straight year, committed 60 unforced errors — as many as del Potro — but won 69 per cent of first serve points and converted five of 10 break point opportunities. He reached the Brisbane International quarter-finals (l. to Monfils) in the first week of the 2010 ATP World Tour season.

Del Potro will next meet German Florian Mayer, who defeated No. 29 seed Viktor Troicki of Serbia 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(2), 6-1. "He's a good player," said del Potro of Mayer. "Maybe he's playing very good tennis. I hopefully [will] be ready for next fight."

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Fifth-seeded Scot Andy Murray recorded a second successive straight sets win at the Australian Open, beating World No. 57 Marc Gicquel of France 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 in one hour and 50 minutes for a place in the third round against another Frenchman Florent Serra.

Murray, who reached the last 16 in 2007 (l. to Nadal), hit 10 aces and 38 winners in his second tour-level match of the 2010 season. The 22 year old converted six of 12 break point opportunities and won 25 of 32 points on approach to the net.

Murray raced through the opening set in just 24 minutes, courtesy of service breaks in the second and fourth games, before 32-year-old Gicquel offered some resistance.

The Frenchman broke serve in the fifth game of the final set for 3-3, but Murray regained his focus taking Gicquel for deuce four times in the seventh game before a double fault handed the World No. 4 the decisive break.

Gicquel, who committed 43 unforced errors, has now lost eight straight matches against Top 10 opponents. Murray, commenting on his next opponent, said: "He's been around the 50 mark for quite a long time. He's a solid player. He's going to go for it, so [I] have to make sure I'm on my game."

Serra saved two match point at 3-5, Ad/40 and again 5-6, 30/40 in the fourth set against Jarkko Nieminen, before going on to beat the Finn 3-6, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(4), 7-5 in just over four hours.

Nieminen converted just seven of 24 break point opportunities, while Serra committed 104 unforced errors but hit 11 aces and 66 winners.

French No. 11 seed Gael Monfils cruised past Antonio Veic of Croatia 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 50 minutes to set up a third-round clash against No. 33 seed John Isner, the 6’9” American, who captured his first ATP World Tour title at the Heineken Open in Auckland last week.

Isner beat Stuttgart-based Irish qualifier Louk Sorensen 6-3, 7-6(4), 7-5 in two hours and 26 minutes, hitting 21 aces and 61 winners but also 51 unforced errors.

Afterwards, Isner admitted to being slightly tired during his match. "I served well - I didn't get broken, so that helps," he said. "Once I was able to get that second set, I kind of felt relieved after that. And I felt a little better in the third set than I did in the second.

"The more matches I win, the more confident I'm gonna get. I've won seven in a row - I've never done that in my career - so this is a first."

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