Wimbledon 2013: Mikhail Youzhny finds length to hit back against Vasek Pospisil

The experienced Russian Mikhail Youzhny, a potential fourth-round opponent for Andy Murray, was in danger of going out at 2-4 in the fifth set against Vasek Pospisil, but after some careless hitting he found his length at just the right time to come through 6-2, 6-7, 7-6, 3-6, 6-4.

The crucial moment in the final set was the eighth game, when the 23 year-old Canadian, ranked 103 in the world, lost his serve to love and failed to recover.

Youzhny, seeded 20th, took 11 points in a row and, after wasting one match point, benefited from another unforced error to win the match. Next he will play Viktor Troicki of Serbia, the winner taking on Murray, assuming the Scot defeats Tommy Robredo.

Amid the injury carnage elsewhere in the bottom half of the drawer, there were victories for three Spaniards, all against French opposition. The 15th seed Nicolas Almagro progressed to meet Jerzy Janowicz by defeating Guillaume Rufin 7-5, 6-7, 6-3, 6-4. Fernando Verdasco, who was as high as ninth in the world three years ago, put out the 31st seed, Julien Benneteau, 7-6, 7-6, 6-4 and will now play Ernests Gulbis, who went though after the retirement of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Robredo, seeded 32, put out Nicolas Mahut 7-6, 6-1, 7-6 to earn a crack at Murray. Once a top 10 player, Robredo slipped to 115 at the end of last year after missing five months with a leg injury but following surgery is moving back up the rankings again. His un-Spanish first name comes from The Who's rock opera, his father being a fan of the band.