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Andy Murray moved into contention for a third grand slam title with a win that suggested his recovery from back surgery may be complete at the Australian Open on Saturday.
Murray, the fourth seed, beat Spain’s Feliciano Lopez 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 6-2 to put himself among the last 16.
The Briton seems assured of a fourth-round luxury against lucky loser Stephane Robert of France before things again get serious with Roger Federer likely to be waiting for him in the quarter-finals.
Lopez, the 26th seed, faced Murray after a couple of relatively straightforward encounters in the opening two rounds.
But he said each of them had been useful in his return to the court.
“I’m getting confidence from every set I play, every match,” Murray said.
“They’re all useful.”
Murray’s win followed an impressive performance by Federer who looked sharp in his 6-2 6-2 6-3 defeat of Russia’s Teymuraz Gabashvili in a match that also indicated he has made a good recovery from back problems.
Evidence of Murray’s lay-off was apparent in the opening set where he let four break points slip before wrapping up the tiebreaker.
He claimed an early break in the second and from then on had Lopez on the backfoot, wrapping up the victory without being seriously threatened in two hours and 15 minutes.
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