Murray/Venus Hold Nerve For Quarter-Final Spot In Indian Wells

Peter Staples/ATP Tour

Jamie Murray and Michael Venus kept their cool under pressure on Sunday to clinch a quarter-final place at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

Murray and Venus delivered a dominant Match Tie-break showing to complete a 3-6, 7-6(3), 10-6 third-round win against Daniel Evans and John Peers. Despite falling behind early against Great Britain’s Evans and Australia’s Peers, Murray and Venus kick-started their charge to victory by winning six of the final seven points in the second-set tie-break on Stadium 6.

The British-New Zealand pairing then charged to a 4/0 lead in the Match Tie-break, one that ultimately proved unassailable as they completed the win in 99 minutes. With the win, Murray and Venus improved their record for 2023 (their first season together) to 10-5. The pair lifted its maiden ATP Tour title as a team in Dallas in early February.

In the quarter-finals, Murray and Venus will attempt to maintain their good form against top seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski or Frances Tiafoe and Stan Wawrinka.

Also on Sunday, defending champions John Isner and Jack Sock enjoyed a more straightforward path to the last eight in the California desert as they downed Kevin Krawietz and Fabrice Martin 7-6(8), 6-4.

Home favourites Isner and Sock, who lifted the trophy in Indian Wells in 2018 as well as last year, saved all three break points they faced in their 91-minute triumph. Their quarter-final opponents will be Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini or Austin Krajicek and Mackenzie McDonald.

Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov advanced to the quarter-finals via walkover after their third-round opponents, Lucas Miedler and Cameron Norrie, withdrew. The Canadian duo will take on Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden in the last eight.