Updated March 12, 2017 21:19:41

Photo: Andy Murray (R) leaves the court after losing to Vasek Pospisil in straight sets. (AP: Mark J Terrill)

World number one Andy Murray was sent packing from the second round of the Indian Wells Masters after losing to Canadian qualifier Vasek Pospisil in straight sets.

Murray departed the tournament when the 129th-ranked Pospisil delivered the knock-out punch by whipping a crosscourt winner on his fourth match point to win 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) in front of the near capacity crowd, which included former boxing champion Mike Tyson.

Pospisil was rewarded for his aggressive approach, rushing the net whenever the opportunity arose and pouncing on Murray's second serve.

"It was a really good atmosphere at the end," Murray said.

"It was pretty much a full crowd after the first 15, 20 minutes, so it was a nice atmosphere. Especially the way he was playing, I think the crowds like him.

"The guy was being aggressive and he came out with some fantastic shots as well. So they really got into it."

The 26-year-old Pospisil had never beaten Murray before, admitting a change in strategy was behind his shock victory.

"I knew I was a long shot. I've played Andy four times and didn't win a set," Pospisil told Tennis Channel.

"I felt like I had the ability to [win] but to actually go through is a whole new thing. I tried to bring different tactics ... versus the other times I played him.

"I didn't want to give him the same look each time. I wanted to put pressure coming into the net, using my strength, which is my ability at the net and serving well."

Pospisil joked that his lowly current world ranking was due to a "mid-life crisis" that saw him endure a lean 2016, after he had made the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2015.

Earlier, Italian Fabi Fognini won a battle of expectant fathers when he beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6 (7-4), 3-6, 6-4.

Unseeded Fognini survived a first-set tie-break and a tense final set before upsetting the seventh-seeded Frenchman in a match that stretched nearly two hours and 30 minutes in the blazing afternoon sun.

Japan's world number 70 Yoshihito Nishioka beat Croatian veteran Ivo Karlovic 6-4 6-3 in another upset, but seeds Dominic Thiem, David Goffin and Tomas Berdych won their matches to advance.

In the women's draw, 16th seed Sam Stosur lost in the second round 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 to Julia Goerges.

Reuters

Topics: tennis, sport, united-states

First posted March 12, 2017 19:06:46