Andy Murray was forced to come from behind to beat Gilles Simon 1-6 7-6 6-2 in the quarter-finals of the Mexican Open.
A below-par display on serve from both players had a clear impact on the fluency of the match but it was Murray who struggled to create opportunities for a break.
Murray's errors on his second serve proved to be costly as he handed three breaks of serve to Simon, who took full advantage to wrap up the first set in just over 30 minutes.
The British number one claimed a break of his own early in the second set but he was soon pegged back by a determined Simon.
Murray's weakness on his second serve became clear once again as Simon moved 4-2 ahead to edge a step closer to victory.
The Scot managed to hit back once more to keep the match alive before being broken for the third time in the set by the sixth seed.
Simon failed to hold his nerve at a crucial stage when he was broken to love as he looked to serve out the match.
A tie-break was eventually needed to decide the second set and Murray took the opportunity to hit back with a 7-4 success to level the scores.
Murray claimed the early advantage in the final set by breaking Simon, who struggled to cause the same problems he had done earlier in the match.
The Wimbledon champion finished the contest by securing another break of serve to take the deciding set 6-2 and book his spot in the semi-finals.
Callum Mulvihill
