Former champions Andy Murray and Serena Williams shook off hip injury niggles to advance in straight sets at the Miami Masters on Tuesday.
Second seed Andy Murray, who won his only title at Crandon park in 2009 and played the final a year ago, was bothered early on in his victory over Italian Andreas Seppi, with the Scot prevailing 6-2, 6-4 in the fourth-round contest played in uncharacteristic chilly conditions.
Williams did the same during her win over China’s Li Na 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) to reach the semi-finals.
Murray admitted he felt something give in his hip, but played through it.
“I probably just did an awkward movement at one stage and it was a bit sore for a few games. Four or five games into the second set my right hip, quad -on top of my right leg -was sore for a few games.
Felt like something just caught a little bit.
“I felt fine after that, it feels fine now. Normally, if you pick up a little something, when you cool down that after the match you feel it. Stuff can get out of place on the court, and, you know, when you’re moving again it starts to feel better or opens up again.” Five-time women’s winner Williams, who is daily driving a new white Rolls Royce from just a few kilometers down the road from her luxury hotel to the site, was seen by the doctor at one point and given some tablets after she appeared to hurt herself against Li.
But Williams made no initial mention of any problems as she out-hit the former French Open winner and losing finalist at the Australian Open in January.
“I just had a little bit of a problem, a little with the hip, and it was just really weird,” Williams said. “It happened really early in the first set.” The 31-year-old had to overcome 31 unforced errors and six double-faults, surpassed only by the seven off the Li racquet.
Williams spent nearly two hours in advancing into a match against the winner from holder Agineszka Radwanska and Belgian outsider Kristen Flipkens.
Elsewhere in the men’s draw, Spanish third seed David Ferrer reached the Miami quarter-finals for the third year with his defeat of Japan’s 13th seed Kei Nishikori 6-4, 6-2. Czech fourth seed Tomas Berdych crushed Sam Querrey 6-1, 6-1.
Croatian Marin Cilic knocked out number six Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 6, France, 7-5, 7-6 (7-4) while eighth seed Richard Gasquet took a French win in went two hours, 39 minutes before defeating tenth seed Nicolas Almagro 6-7 (3-7), 7-5, 7-6 (7-3).
