Andy Murray in action at Melbourne Park. Picture: Getty Source: Clive Brunskill / Getty Images
ROMANTICS fell back to earth and realists reigned when Andy Murray overcame a fright from lucky loser Stephane Robert.
Murray had to contend with some late resistance from the Frenchman to win 6-1, 6-2, 6-7 (6-8), 6-2 and book his fifth straight Australian Open quarter-finals berth.
Heart-warming as it would have been to see Robert topple the world No. 4 after the 33-year-old only scraped into the main draw when Philipp Kohlschreiber pulled out injured, Murray had no regard for fairytales.
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Continuing his return from back surgery, which cut short his 2013 season, Murray dropped a set for the first time in the tournament and squandered four match points, but he made it through.
Murray went up a double break to lead 5-1 in the first set.
The Wimbledon champion was barely losing a point and sealed it with a deep forehand winner after just 25 minutes.
The second set was similar to the first with Murray grabbing an early double break and taking a 4-0 lead.
He stumbled in his last service game, taking four set points to close it out.
The third set was a tighter affair with Robert finding his touch, while Murray became frustrated and began berating himself.
Andy Murray and lucky loser Stephane Robert cross paths at a change of ends. Picture: Getty Source: Getty Images
The fifth game produced some entertaining rallies before Murray held serve and Robert made him work hard for the break in the next game.
The three-times Australian Open runner-up finally converted his seventh break point with a smooth backhand down the line.
With Murray serving for the match, Robert set up break point in a brilliant rally where Murray managed somehow to return a great drop shot and an equally clever lob before missing a pass in reply the Frenchman's smash.
Murray saved that break point but then dropped two match points, the first with a double fault, and Robert pounced, breaking him to level the score at five games all.
In the tiebreak, Murray fought back from 3-0 down to lead 6-4 but he could not put the match away on two more opportunities and Robert surged to 7-6 with some impressive shot making.
The Frenchman won the tiebreak on a challenge as Murray smashed his racquet on the ground in rage.
Murray broke his opponent to lead the fourth set 3-1 and, after Robert had saved another match point, the Scot converted his sixth.
There was some consolation for Robert, whose ranking of 119 is projected to rise to around the No. 74 mark on the back of his performance at Melbourne Park.
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