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INDIAN WELLS, California : Australian Open runner-up Andy Murray booked his fourth-round berth at the BNP Paribas Open on Tuesday with a straight-sets victory over American Michael Russell.
Murray, the fourth seed, beat Russell - ranked 68th in the world - 6-3, 7-5.
Russell, who has never reached an ATP Tour final, didn't go quietly, breaking the world number four in the ninth game of the second set as Murray served for the match, putting the set back on serve after Murray's early break.
Murray brought the proceedings to a close after an hour and 52 minutes when he broke Russell in the 12th game of the second set to line up a clash with either American James Blake or Spain's Nicolas Almagro.
World number one Roger Federer, playing his first tournament since beating Murray in the Australian Open final for a 16th Grand Slam crown, was also slated for third-round action on Tuesday, along with sixth-seeded Swede Robin Soderling and seventh-seeded American Andy Roddick.
On the women's side, fourth-seeded Russian Elena Dementieva led the way into the quarter-finals with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over France's Aravane Rezai.
She next faces Polish fifth seed Agnieszka Radwanska, a 6-3, 6-2 winner over France's Marion Bartoli.
Dementieva is one of the biggest names left in the women's draw, after the departures of top-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova as well as Maria Sharapova, Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin.
Caroline Wozniacki is the highest seed remaining at number two, the Danish teen taking on Russian Nadia Petrova.
The winner of that match will take on Australian Open semi-finalist Zheng Jie of China, who reached the quarters with a 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7/1) victory over Australian Alicia Molik.
Eighth-seeded Australian Samantha Stosur also advanced, ousting defending champion Vera Zvonareva 6-2, 7-5.
- AFP /ls
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