Andy Murray has hit out at Carlos Berlocq for his behaviour during their fourth-round clash at Indian Wells.

The players exchanged angry words during the ninth game of the opening set, in a match where the British number one battled to a 7-6 6-4 victory over the Argentine.

Murray, who was accused by Berlocq of taking too long in between points, revealed that he complained to the umpire about his opponent's volume of grunting.

"He complained I was taking too long between the points, and there were maybe one or two points where that could have been an issue," Murray told Sky Sports News. "But when someone is grunting like that it's every single shot. And also, when you're doing it that loud, but you aren't doing that on every single shot, there is obviously a reason for why you're grunting like that.

"If I'm going to be supposedly taking too long between points on one or two points, then grunting that loud for that long is like an extended grunt as well. It's making a noise when you're hitting the ball. It's annoying. When I have been on the court or off it, it's never been something I have found to be really that off-putting.

"But if it's going to be suggested that I am using gamesmanship by taking too long, then you can't be making noises like that on the court. I haven't experienced it like that before. It was extremely, extremely loud, more than what I have experienced from any other player on the tour."

Murray will meet either Tommy Haas or Juan Martin del Potro in the quarter-finals.