Indian Wells: Andy Murray beats Carlos Alcaraz in three sets to reach third round

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After beating Adrian Mannarino in the first round, Andy Murray met Alcaraz.

Andy Murray defeated Carlos Alcaraz, a highly-rated Spanish teenager, 5-7 6-3 and 6-2 to reach Indian Wells' third round.

Murray led by 3-0, but was relegated to 4-4 after failing to win a set point at Alcaraz's serve at 5-4. He then lost the first set.

He was able to serve underarm at one time, but he did not set at one-set.

Murray, 34, broke twice during the decider, on his way to winning a thrilling match against the 18 year-old in three hours, three minutes.

Murray, currently 121st in men's rankings with a win, will have plenty to cheer him on as he continues his recent comeback after four years of disruption following a major hip injury.

After American Jenson Brooksby's defeat, 6-4 3-6 6-1, Zverev will face him in round three.

Murray stated that it was a tough match in really difficult conditions. "It was great how I fought after losing the first sets. I think I should have won that set."

"I had many chances, but I didn't seize them." It would have been easy to let this slip, but I kept fighting and completed it well.

Alcaraz, who is ranked 38th worldwide, beat Stefanos Tisipas in September's US Open. He looked ready to dominate the match, having played a 67-minute opening set.

He could not overcome Murray's resilience, who was 15-40 behind on his serve in the third set. Then, he retook the match with an underarm ace.

Murray added, "The courts here are painfully slow." "I thought about using it [the Underarm Serve] again in the Third Set.

"He switched his return position towards end of the first. He started moving further back, and I was like just give it another go and see.

"I used it, and it worked well. Maybe I'll use again in the future if men are going to stand that far back. They're going to make courts such as this."

Murray won the match. He broke Alcaraz in game one of the deciding set. Murray was now 15-40 down on his serve. His opponent, however, managed to win in 10 minutes 32 seconds to secure his break.

Murray broke Alcaraz again, and won an impressive victory as he served to Alcaraz and volleyed to win match point.

In the men's draw there was another upset. Spain's Albert Ramos Vinolas, ranked 48th in the world, beat Canadian seventh seed Felix Auger Aliassime in straight sets.

Tsitsipas, Greece's second seed, reached Indian Wells' third round for the first-time after he defeated Pedro Martinez 6-26-4 to set up a clash against Fabio Fognini.

Victoria Azarenka beat seventh seed Petra Kvitova 7-5, 6-4. She will now face fellow Belarusian Aliaksandra Ssnovich who defeated Simona Halep 11th by the same score in the fourth round.

Polish second seed Iga Swaitek beat Russian Veronika Kudermetova in straight sets. Ukrainian fourth seed Elina Stvitolina had to fight harder and won a set against Sorana Cirstea, 4-6,6-4, 7-6 (7-3).