ANDY MURRAY produced an impressive performance to win his first match for 50 weeks and move into the second round of the Eastbourne International.
The former world number one defeated three-time grand slam champion Stan Wawrinka 6-1, 6-3 in a battle of the wildcards, with Murray booking a second round clash with his compatriot and the man who has replaced him as British number one, Kyle Edmund.
Murray’s first appearance for almost a year came last week at the Fever Tree Championships at Queen’s Club and despite a first-round loss to Australia’s Nick Kyrgios, there were a number of positive signs for the former Wimbledon champion, who is currently ranked 156 in the world.
And Murray, whose last victory was in the fourth round of Wimbledon last summer, stepped things up again yesterday in a match which saw him dominate Wawrinka from beginning to end.
The Scot ground his opponent down with his trademark consistency, which the Swiss struggled to cope with. Despite saving the first match point he faced, Wawrinka double-faulted on the second to hand Murray the victory, with the Scot relieved to have finished things off in such comfortable fashion against a player of such pedigree but he knows he must improve again if he is to progress past Edmund.
“I’m very happy to get the win,” said Murray.
“I thought the first set I played well, but the second set was patchy and I was a bit nervous.
“When you haven’t played for the best part of a year and you face someone like Stan, it is tough. But obviously I am delighted to get the win.
“Kyle is a great player who is improving all the time. He is getting close to the top of the game which is a credit to him and his team. I am expecting a tough match and will try to play my best.”
In today’s matches at Eastbourne, Scot Cameron Norrie takes on Germany’s Daniel Brands in round one.
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