PARIS (AP) – It’s hard to say who will be in better shape Friday when Andy Murray plays Ivo Karlovic in the third round of the French Open.
The second-seeded Murray already has been pushed to five sets twice in Paris. Karlovic, seeded No. 27, needed 41 aces to win his second-round match in five sets. He became, at 37, the oldest man to reach the third round of a major since Jimmy Connors at the 1991 U.S. Open. Karlovic spent 4 hours, 31 minutes on the red clay to set up his match with Murray.
Not since Gaston Gaudio in 2004 has a player been taken to five sets in each of the French Open’s first two rounds and gone on claim the title.
The good news for Murray, a three-time semifinalist in Paris, is that his next opponent plays serve and volley and does not like long rallies.
“Physically, the average rally length will only be a few shots, maybe three, four shots max,” Murray said.