Canada’s Raonic beats Murray, advances to quarter-finals at Indian Wells

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. – Canadian Milos Raonic beat Wimbledon champion Andy Murray for the third time in four career matches as he posted a 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory into the quarter-finals of the BNP Paribas Open Wednesday.

The 22-year-old from Thornhill, Ont., finished with 15 aces and just three double-faults in a winning effort which lasted just over two hours.

Tenth-seed Raonic will next take on Ukraine’s Alexsandr Dolgopolov, who defeated Italian 13th-seed Fabio Fognini 6-2, 6-4 after taking out No. 1 Rafael Nadal in the third round at the Tennis Garden.

Raonic earned his best showing at the first Masters 1000 event of the season after losing in the fourth round a year ago to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Raonic, ranked 11th in the world, was grateful for his serving during the match in which he notched 42 winners.

“My serve got me out of trouble, no doubt about it,” he said. “I fought all the way through the match, I have it all I had out there and things worked out well for me.”

Raonic and Dolgopolov have never played, but both are standouts in the new generation expected to take over the game.

Raonic showed no signs of the ankle injury which he suffered at the Australian Open two months ago as he played his first event since that problem arose.

The Canadian earned his last victory over a top 10 player when he beat Tomas Berdych in the Bangkok final last September.

Raonic lost the opening set on a break in the ninth game from Murray, the world No. 6 who is still not playing at his former level following autumn back surgery. Raonic reversed his fortune in the second set, putting the fifth seed under pressure are winning it with a break in the final game.

Murray went up a break 2-1 in the third but immediately lost it as Raonic got it back on an error.

Raonic then reached 4-2 with a second straight break of the Scot and moved into the quarter-finals three games later as he fired a forehand winner past his frustrated opponent.