Britain’s Andy Murray is through to the semi-finals of the ATP Challenger in Biella, Italy, after a straight-set victory over Slovenia’s Blaz Rola.
Former world number one and three-time Grand Slam champion Murray beat the sixth seed 6-4 7-6 (11-9) in two hours 22 minutes.
He will play Frenchman Mathias Bourgue in the last four in what will be their second meeting.
The Scot previously beat Bourgue in five sets at the French Open in 2016.
He had earlier wasted three match points as Rola took the second set to a tie-break.
Despite his opponent easing to a 5-1 lead in the tie-break, Murray was able to level at 6-6, and though he couldn’t capitalise on his fourth match point, he did so on the fifth to seal the win.
Murray was ruled out of the ongoing Australian Open after testing positive for coronavirus.
He was unable to find a “workable quarantine” before the year’s first Grand Slam, though he was permitted to play in the second-tier event in Italy after a quarantine waiver was agreed for players travelling from outside the European Union.
