Andy Murray shadowed Jurgen Melzer into Rod Laver Arena and spent much of the next two hours staying several steps ahead of the 11th-seeded Austrian.
Their last meeting took place in 2009, at the Australian Open, with Melzer losing in straight sets. Murray turned today’s rematch into a mismatch. In a commanding performance, the 2010 Aussie Open finalist broke serve seven times and won 17 of 25 points played on Melzer’s second serve to cruise into the quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-1, 6-1 conquest. The Wimbledon doubles champion surrendered serve just four times in his 43 prior service games, but Murray picked apart the left-hander’s second offering with precision, breaking five times in the first two sets.
Murray broke him mentally as well. The Scot befuddled Melzer by exploring obscure areas of the court with acute angles; in the fifth game of the second set, a fuming Melzer wound up slamming his Dunlop frame to the court in frustration. That outburst didn’t stop the bleeding, as Murray angled a brilliant backhand return winner to break for 4-1. Covering the court with confidence, Murray kept Melzer off balance throughout the match in raising his record to 5-0 against the southpaw.
Playing more proactive tennis through the first week, Murray has yet to surrender a set and has emphatically put the hammer down when holding a lead. He’s won six of 12 sets by 6-1 scores and has permitted just 22 games in four tournament victories. Alexandr Dolgopolov, who surprised fourth-seeded Robin Soderling in five sets earlier today, awaits Murray in the quarters. The two have played once previously, with Murray posting a straight-sets win in a 2006 Davis Cup match on red clay.
“I was really not ready then to play that type of player because he was just too consistent for me then,” Dolgopolov said. “I couldn’t do much, I couldn’t hit a winner.”
Dolgopolov grew up admiring Marcelo Rios and exhibits a Rios-like ability to produce different speeds off what appears to be the same swing. The pony-tailed Ukraninan, who has been living in New Jersey in recent years, possesses a quirky, explosive game that can unsettle opponents. He pounded Soderling into submission in the fifth set today by alternating between his slithering slice backhand and a forceful forehand. Dolgopolov has now beaten two former Grand Slam finalists—Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Soderling—in succession, but Murray moves much quicker and counters more effectively than either of those power merchants.
It will be interesting to see how Murray, who played a near immaculate match today, attacks Dolgopolov’s backhand and absorbs the pace of his forehand. If Murray continues to return serve with the vicious accuracy he’s shown throughout the first week, he’s got a strong shot to reach his second straight Oz Open semifinal.
—Richard Pagliaro