Tennis: Murray through after Benneteau retires

World number four makes it to Monte Carlo Masters quarters.

MONTE CARLO: World number four Andy Murray moved into the Monte Carlo Masters quarter-finals after France’s Julien Benneteau retired from their third-round match yesterday.

Murray was leading a fiercely-contested opening set 6-5 when Benneteau quit, having fallen in the previous game when sliding to a wide ball and injuring his ankle.   Benneteau received lengthy treatment and then took another injury timeout at the change of ends before deciding that he could not continue.

Murray, meanwhile, was applauded as he brought ice bags to his opponent.

Before the Frenchman withdrew, Murray and the 31st-ranked Benneteau had produced some high-quality tennis to entertain the crowd for more than an hour on a sunny morning next to the Mediterranean.

Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic was going ahead with his schedule at the Monte Carlo Masters only hours after learning of the death of his grandfather. Reports had circulated for several hours around the grounds after the Serb was seen leaving a practice court in tears after apparently receiving the news. 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 20^th, 2012.