By Alberto Amalfi | Thursday, April 20, 2017
World No. 24 Albert Ramos-Vinolas won seven of the final eight games toppling top-ranked Andy Murray, 2-6, 6-2, 7-5, to reach the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters quarterfinals.
Photo credit: Fredric Berggren/SkiStar Swedish Open
Andy Murray could see the finish line as clearly as the baseline as he built a 4-0 lead in the final set today.
Albert Ramos-Vinolas didn’t share the Scot’s vision.
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The 24th-ranked Spaniard reeled off seven of the final eight games shocking world No. 1 Murray, 2-6, 6-2, 7-5, to advance to the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters quarterfinals.
It was Ramos-Vinolas’ first career victory over a reigning world No. 1 in four attempts and sent him into his first career Masters quarterfinal in his 31st Masters 1000 tournament appearance.
The top-seeded Murray appeared to be hampered by cramps in the final stages of the match.
The Wimbledon champion could not reach some of Ramos-Vinolas’ drop shots in the final set. At times, Murray, one of the sport’s speediest players and best hustlers, did not run for a few shots suggesting he wasn’t completely physically fit.
Ramos-Vinolas converted his second match point when Murray pushed a forehand drop shot into net, ending a two hour, 32-minute victory in which the Spanish clay-courter converted seven of 14 break points.
Murray, who missed the Miami Open with an elbow injury, was playing just his second match since bowing to Vasek Pospisil in his Indian Wells opener last month.
Sao Paulo finalist Ramos-Vinolas raised his record vs. Top 10 opponents to 4-26.
The 15th-seeded Spaniard will play former US Open champion Marin Cilic for a semifinal spot.
The fifth-seeded Cilic saved three of four break points dispatching ninth-seeded Tomas Berdych, 6-2, 7-6 (0). Cilic served just 45 percent but won 17 of 20 first-serve points in the second set.
Cilic has won three of four meetings with the 29-year-old Ramos-Vinolas, including a straight-sets victory in the second round of the 2016 Australian Open.