World No. 1 Andy Murray crashed out of the ATP Indian Wells Masters on Saturday, losing to Canadian qualifier Vasek Pospisil in straight sets.
Pospisil, ranked 129th in the world, triumphed 6-4, 7-6(5), sealing the triumph on his fourth match point to delight a stadium court crowd won over by the underdog.
For Britain’s Murray, it was yet another disappointing performance in the California desert, where his best showing is a 2009 runner-up finish to Rafael Nadal.
Last year Murray was bundled out in the third round, but he was hoping for much better as he arrived fresh off his 45th career ATP title in Dubai.
Pospisil had never beaten Murray in four prior encounters. The 26-year-old, who defeated Taiwan’s Lu Yen-Hsun in the first round as Murray enjoyed a bye, notched his fourth career victory over a top-10 player and his first since 2014.
Leander Paes and Juan Martin del Porto crashed out in the opening round of the men’s doubles event suffering a 6-3, 6-4 defeat to Gilles Muller and Sam Querry.
Venus roars back
Venus Williams saved three match points as she roared back for a 1-6, 7-6(5), 6-1 victory over old foe Jelena Jankovic for a place in the women’s third round.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion, her right arm bandaged and her serve speed down, surrendered the first set in just 20 minutes and was quickly down a break at 3-1 in the second.
She broke Jankovic twice to take a 5-4 lead in the second set before the Serb veteran, like Williams a former World No. 1, broke in the 10th game to pull level at 5-5.
Serving to save the match, Williams was on the ropes in the 12th game but she saved three match points to force the decider.
Once she came through it, she ran away with the third, buoyed by an enthusiastic crowd.
Second-seeded Angelique Kerber raced into the third round with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over fellow German Andrea Petkovic.
Kerber next faces France’s Pauline Parmentier, who ousted 27th-seeded Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan 6-2, 6-3.
Women’s fourth-seed Simona Halep of Romania cruised through her opener, downing Croatian wild card Donna Vekic 6-4, 6-1.
Sixth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska beat Spain’s Sara Sorribes 6-3, 6-4 and ninth-seeded American Madison Keys made a successful return to competition with a 6-1, 7-5 victory over Colombian Mariana Duque.
Sania Mirza and Barbora Strycova beat Sara Errani and Alicja Rosolska 6-2, 6-3 to enter the women’s doubles quarterfinals.
The results:
Men: Second round: Vasek Pospisil bt Andy Murray 6-4, 7-6(5); Dusan Lajovic bt Feliciano Lopez 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(2); Pablo Carreũo-Busta bt Peter Gojowczyk 7-5, 6-2; Roberto Bautista Agut bt Adrian Mannarino 7-5, 6-2; David Goffin bt Karen Khachanov 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
Albert Ramos Vinolas bt Damir Dzumhur 6-4, 5-7, 7-5; Pablo Cuevas bt Martin Klizan 7-6(3), 7-6(5); Fabio Fognini bt Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-4; Stanislas Wawrinka bt Paolo Lorenzi 6-3, 6-4.
Philipp Kohlschreiber bt Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-7(3), 1-1 retd.; Yoshihito Nishioka bt Ivo Karlovic 6-4, 6-3; Tomas Berdych bt Bjorn Fratangelo 7-6(4), 6-4; Gael Monfils bt Darian King 3-6, 6-0, 6-1.
John Isner bt Mikhail Kukushkin 7-6(0), 7-6(6); Mischa Zverev bt Joao Sousa 6-4, 6-3; Dominic Thiem bt Jeremy Chardy 6-2, 6-4.
Doubles: First round: Gilles Muller & Sam Querry bt Leander Paes & Juan Martin del Porto 6-3, 6-4.
Women: Madison Keys bt Mariana Duque 6-1, 7-5; Naomi Osaka bt Zhang Shuai 6-4, 6-2; Katerina Siniakova bt Carla Suarez 6-3, 7-5; Caroline Wozniacki bt Magda Linette 6-3, 6-0; Julia Goerges bt Samantha Stosur 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Kristina Mladenovic bt Annika Beck 6-0, 7-5; Simona Halep bt Donna Vekic 6-4, 6-1; Agnieszka Radwanska bt Sara Sorribes 6-3, 6-4; Peng Shuai bt Ana Konjuh 6-4, 6-2.
Venus Williams bt Jelena Jankovic 1-6, 7-6(5), 6-1; Elena Vesnina bt Shelby Rogers 6-4, 7-5; Timea Babos bt Varvara Lepchenko 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-2; Pauline Parmentier bt Yulia Putintseva 6-2, 6-3; Angelique Kerber bt Andrea Petkovic 6-2, 6-1
Doubles: Pre-quarterfinals : Sania Mirza & Barbora Strycova bt Sara Errani & Alicja Rosolska 6-2, 6-3 .
