By Chris Oddo | Tuesday, April 1, 2015

 

Dominic Thiem took the opener from Andy Murray, but the Great Scot rallied to close off the young Austrian in three on Wednesday in Miami.

Photo Source: Clive Brunskill/Getty

Andy Murray had to work to suppress the bristling buoyancy of Dominic Thiem on a hot, sunny day, but the two-time Miami champion had more than enough game to beat back the best efforts of the rising Austrian at the finish.

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Murray fought back from a one-set deficit to prevail, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, and book his spot in the Miami Open semifinals where he’ll meet either Tomas Berdych or Juan Monaco.

"I think in the third set the difference was really my returning,” said Murray, who broke open a tight, entertaining battle in a decider to finish going away. “I Returned his first serve extremely well. I put him on the back foot.”

Murray would break on two of his three opportunities in the final set, and Thiem, who had produced some scintillating tennis in the opening two sets, would start to show signs of mental and physical fatigue as Murray started to pressure him consistently.

“Especially in the third set Andy was the much better player,” Thiem lamented. “I think my only chance in the match to win it would be if I make it to 5-All, make it to a tiebreak, and then, yeah, win this one.”

Still, Thiem was energized from his best career performance at a Masters 1000 event, and his best result in 2015. “Before this week I would have given a lot for the quarterfinals, but now of course in the first moment I'm a little bit disappointed, especially I won the first set,” He said. Then he added: “I played a good match.”

Murray, who became the first British man to reach the 500-win mark on Tuesday with his win over Kevin Anderson, improved to 20-4 on the season. At Miami Murray has had great success, winning the event twice and reaching the final another time. In his tenth career appearance at the event, he owns a 26-7 record.