Andy Murray Pulls Out Another 3-Set Victory at Indian Wells

Andy Murray of Great Britain reacts in his match against Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina during the BNP Paribas Open on March 09, 2023 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
Andy Murray of Great Britain reacts in his match against Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina during the BNP Paribas Open on March 09, 2023 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Andy Murray Pulls Out Another 3-Set Victory at Indian Wells

Andy Murray of Great Britain reacts in his match against Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina during the BNP Paribas Open on March 09, 2023 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
Andy Murray of Great Britain reacts in his match against Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina during the BNP Paribas Open on March 09, 2023 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)

Three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray remained unbeaten this season in matches that go to a deciding third or fifth set by coming back to beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-4 across more than three hours in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open on Thursday.

Murray, a 35-year-old who has an artificial hip, faced a pair of break points while serving at 15-40 and already trailing 4-3 in the final set. Convert either of those chances, and Etcheverry would have served for the victory.

But 2009 Indian Wells runner-up Murray managed to hold there, beginning a three-game, match-ending run against Etcheverry, a 21-year-old from Argentina who is ranked 61st after reaching the final of a tournament in Santiago, Chile, last week.

So far in 2023, Murray is 5-0 in best-of-three-set matches that last three sets, along with 2-0 in best-of-five matches that go five. He is 0-3 in contests that conclude earlier.

Another man who owns three major titles, Stan Wawrinka, made a successful return to the hard-court tournament in the California desert after four years away, beating qualifier Aleksandar Vukic 6-4, 1-6, 6-1.

Wawrinka, a 37-year-old who has been ranked as high as No. 3 and is now No. 100 after a series of operations to his left foot and left knee, hit 10 aces and won 28 of 33 first-serve points. His previous match in Indian Wells was a loss to Swiss Davis Cup teammate Roger Federer in the third round in 2019.

Wawrinka will face No. 26 seed Miomir Kecmanovic in the second round at the first Masters 1000 tournament of the season.

Former No. 3-ranked and 2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem was beaten 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) by Adrian Mannarino. The French player won the last three points of the tiebreaker to defeat Thiem, the 2019 Indian Wells winner whose ranking has dropped to No. 102 as he works his way back from right wrist and abdominal injuries.

Emma Raducanu, who won the 2021 US Open as a teenage qualifier, was back on court Thursday for the first time since January after having tonsillitis, and fell behind 2-0 in each set during what would become a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Danka Kovinic.

Another 20-year-old, Ben Shelton, trailed 2-0 at the outset against Fabio Fognini before taking 12 of the last 15 games to win 6-4, 6-1. Shelton, the 2022 NCAA singles champion at the University of Florida who hadn't won a match since reaching the Australian Open quarterfinals, will take on No. 4 seed and defending champion Taylor Fritz next.

Fognini was warned for an audible obscenity and for taking too much time getting ready to return serves; he also spiked a racket during the match but wasn't cited by the chair umpire for that.

Thanasi Kokkinakis claimed 32 of 34 points he served in a 6-4, 6-1 victory over wild-card entry Brandon Holt to earn a matchup on Saturday against reigning US Open champion and No. 1 seed Carlos Alcaraz.

Danielle Collins, the 2022 Australian Open runner-up, lost a second consecutive match against an opponent ranked outside the top 50, knocked out 6-4, 6-4 by 80th-ranked Dalma Galfi. Galif had lost in qualifying but moved into the main draw when someone withdrew. Collins delivered only nine winners while making 41 unforced errors.

In a match featuring American former Grand Slam singles champions, 2020 Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin beat 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens 6-4, 6-1. Claire Liu beat Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 7-6 (5), 6-3 and will play No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the second round.

Varvara Gracheva, who qualified for Indian Wells after reaching the final at Austin, Texas, last week, defeated Ysaline Bonaventure 6-2, 6-2; Katerina Siniakova beat Jule Niemeier 7-5, 6-4; and Jil Teichmann was a 6-1, 6-4 winner over Ashlyn Krueger.

In other results, Jack Draper overwhelmed qualifier Leandro Riedi 6-1, 6-1 to set up an all-British matchup against No. 24 Dan Evans; Mackenzie McDonald defeated Filip Krajinovic 6-3, 6-0; and Marton Fucsovics beat J.J. Wolf 1-6, 6-0, 6-3.



US Coach Pochettino Takes Positives from Gold Cup Despite Defeat in Final

Jul 6, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino speaks to the media after the match against Mexico during the 2025 Gold Cup Final at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Jul 6, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino speaks to the media after the match against Mexico during the 2025 Gold Cup Final at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
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US Coach Pochettino Takes Positives from Gold Cup Despite Defeat in Final

Jul 6, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino speaks to the media after the match against Mexico during the 2025 Gold Cup Final at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Jul 6, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino speaks to the media after the match against Mexico during the 2025 Gold Cup Final at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The United States came up short in the CONCACAF Gold Cup final on Sunday with a 2-1 loss to Mexico but will take valuable lessons from the tournament as they build towards next year's World Cup, coach Mauricio Pochettino said.

The US went ahead early in the game in Houston, Texas through Chris Richards's header but Mexico fought back through Raul Jimenez and Edson Alvarez to claim a 10th Gold Cup title.

Pochettino told reporters that while it had been a painful night for his side the tournament had been excellent preparation for the 2026 World Cup, which the US will co-host with Mexico and Canada.

"It was a massive lesson for us. It was an amazing tournament to realize in the way that we wanted to grow," he added, according to Reuters.

"This is the way that I think we are going to find the way to compete better and better, and be very competitive and be in the place that we wanted to be.

"When you lose a trophy or you lose a game it's really, really painful. But the most important thing is to have our head up because I think the tournament was fantastic and we keep going, that is the way we want to build our journey into the World Cup."

The US reached the final despite missing several key players, with Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah controversially opting out while Weston McKennie, Gio Reyna and Tim Weah were unable to play due to Club World Cup obligations.

However, Pochettino did not want to discuss the impact the absences had.

"I think the roster that we build is the roster that deserved to be here, and I think now is not the point to talk about the player that should be here or not," he said.

The US will next host South Korea and Japan in friendly matches in September.