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March 27, 2014

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Djokovic, Murray in Sony Open last-8 clash

EVEN with his surgically repaired back still nowhere near perfect, defending champion Andy Murray needed only 73 minutes to beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4, 6-1 at the Sony Open on Tuesday and set up a quarterfinal with Novak Djokovic.

“My game is getting there,” said Murray, the No. 6 seed, who acknowledged he was dealing with a sore back. “The last six sets I’ve played, very high-level tennis, very few errors.”

He’ll need to keep it that way against second seed Djokovic, who eased past Tommy Robredo 6-3, 7-5.

Top-seeded Rafael Nadal beat 14th-seeded Fabio Fognini 6-2, 6-2. Nadal has dropped a total of nine games in six sets so far in Key Biscayne.

Singles players with a combined 66 grand slam victories were in action on Tuesday, including fifth seed Roger Federer — a winner of 17 of them himself. And he looked very much like the Federer of old, needing only 49 minutes to beat ninth-seeded Richard Gasquet 6-1, 6-2.

Next up for Federer is 20th-seeded Kei Nishikori, who upset No. 4 David Ferrer 7-6 (7), 2-6, 7-6 (9).

Ferrer had beaten Nishikori in the same round in Key Biscayne a year ago, their most recent meeting before Tuesday. No. 22 Alexandr Dolgopolov of the Ukraine also pulled off an upset, topping third-seeded Stanislas Wawrinka 6-4, 3-6, 6-1.




 

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