Murray, Wawrinka into Wimbledon quarters

Andy Murray has slayed Croatian giant Ivo Karlovic to make the Wimbledon quarter-finals, while French Open champion Stan Wawrinka also advanced.

British third seed Murray claimed a 7-6 (9-7) 6-4 5-7 6-4 win over 211cm-tall Karlovic on Monday to book his place in the last-eight at the All England Club for the eighth successive year.

Murray, the 2013 champion, will next face unseeded Canadian Vasek Pospisil.

Karlovic, at 36 the oldest man to reach the last 16 in 39 years, fired 29 aces in the three-hour Centre Court encounter, but that was well below par for a man who had blasted 136 in his first three rounds.

Murray hit 62 winners to the Croatian’s 75 but crucially only nine unforced errors to his rival’s 32.

“I came up with some good lobs and passing shots. I just needed to keep him low,” said Murray.

“It was an incredibly difficult match, it was mentally tiring because you just have to be ready when the chances come.”

French 21st seed Richard Gasquet defeated Nick Kyrgios 7-5 6-1 6-7 (7-9) 7-6 (8-6) in a controversial clash to avenge a second round loss to the temperamental Australian in 2014.

The 29-year-old, a semi-finalist in 2007, will next face fourth seed Wawrinka after winning a last-16 clash at the majors for just the third time in 19 attempts.

But Gasquet’s win was overshadowed by the latest controversy surrounding 20-year-old Kyrgios, the man who knocked out Rafael Nadal 12 months ago.

He tanked the third game of the third set – allowing Gasquet four uncontested points – after arguing with umpire James Keothavong over a code violation for swearing, a gesture which brought boos from the crowd.

Wawrinka defeated Belgian 16th seed David Goffin 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (9-7) 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals.

Wawrinka also made the last eight in 2014 and is bidding to become just the fifth man to win Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year.

Pospisil became only the third Canadian man to reach the quarter-finals with a 4-6 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 6-3 6-3 win over Serbian 22nd seed Viktor Troicki.

It was the world No.56’s third five-set match in four rounds.

Pospisil follows Robert Powell (1908, 1910 and 1912) and Milos Raonic (2014) as the only Canadian men to have reached the last-eight at the All England Club.

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