Andy Murray has claimed that he needed to draw on his fighting spirit to get through his third-round match against Joao Sousa at the Australian Open on Saturday.

The British number one dropped the second set, but managed to recover to seal a 6-2 3-6 6-2 6-2 triumph in Melbourne.

During the match, Murray was unaware that his father-in-law Nigel Sears had been rushed to hospital after collapsing on the Rod Laver Arena as he watched Ana Ivanovic play Madison Keys.

Murray, who has already stated that he will quit the tournament if his pregnant wife Kim goes into labour back home in the UK, immediately went to visit his father-in-law with his mother Judy once he finished his match.

The Scotsman cancelled his post-match press conference, but released a statement about the clash via the tournament organisers, which read: "It was tricky. I didn't feel I was in a great rhythm and wasn't hitting the ball cleanly at the start. He was hitting the ball great, close to the lines, and making me do a lot of running.

"Once I started to hit the ball a little bit cleaner towards the end of the match I was able to get him in his backhand corner and dictate more of the points.

"I just tried to keep fighting. At the end I was actually hitting the ball well and felt better at the end. It was good to get through that one."

Murray will face either Bernard Tomic or John Millman in the last 16.