(Adds Ferrero v Soderling match and Murray quote)
By Mark Elkington
MADRID, Oct 18 - Briton Andy Murray upset world
number three and third seed Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia 6-4 3-6 6-3
in the second round of the Madrid Masters on Wednesday.
Murray, ranked 19th in the world, put Ljubicic, a finalist
here last year, under pressure from the start and won the first
set with a single break of serve.
Ljubicic, who had won nine of his previous 10 matches, eased
ahead to take the second set but Murray got the decisive break
in a finely balanced third set.
The 19-year-old Murray, who had lost in the first round of
his two previous tournaments, held firm on his serve and took
the match with an ace.
"Today's win gives me confidence that I can go on to secure
my place among the top players," said Murray.
Ljubicic was joined by 2003 winner Juan Carlos Ferrero who
was seeded 16, after he lost to Sweden's Robin Soderling 6-3
6-2. Soderling earned a third-round tie against top seed Roger
Federer.
Earlier Belgian Kristof Vliegen won a third-set tie break to
defeat eighth-seeded American James Blake 6-4 3-6 7-6.
Blake has won five titles this year and came into the tie
having won back-to-back tournaments in Bangkok and Stockholm.
"Obviously my preparation wasn't great after making the
final in Stockholm," said Blake.
"It's a fine line between having lots of confidence and
being here longer to get used to the courts and the altitude.
"But I'm not making excuses and Vliegen played a great game.
I don't think I could have played the game any differently
tactically."
The 24-year-old Vliegen, the straight-sets winner of the
only previous encounter between the two earlier this year
started stronger.
He broke Blake's opening service game and held firm to take
the first set with some controlled tennis.
The American was clearly frustrated and struggled to find
his range until he broke Vliegen midway through the second to
get back into the match.
Blake looked to be in control as he raced to a 3-1 lead in
the third but his opponent struck back to go 4-3 up.
Again the match swung Blake's way as he broke back but he
then lost his serve again to take the set to a tie break which
Vliegen won 7-5 after just over two hours of play.
In-form tenth-seeded Chilean Fernando Gonzalez, who lost in
the final in Vienna last week, overcame Thailand's Paradorn
Srichapan 7-5 6-7 6-4.
Last year's semi-finalist American Robby Ginepri knocked out
12th seed Mario Ancic of Croatia in straight sets 7-6 7-6 and
Germany's Tommy Haas, seeded 13th, eased past Dominik Hrbaty of
Slovakia 6-3 7-6.
World number two and second seed Rafael Nadal begins the
defence of his title later on Wednesday, taking on qualifier
Mardy Fish of the United States.