Murray makes winning start against Colombian in Miami

a repeat of least year at the Florida event when he was humbled by Alex Bogomolov Jr.

However, with the hugelypromising Canadian Milos Raonic his likely third-round opponent tomorrow, Murray will need to work his way quickly up through the gears if he is to make significant progress.

It seems that a week in the company of his coach Ivan Lendl, who sat watching alongside Judy Murray and the Davis Cup captain Leon Smith yesterday, has done the trick. The addition of Lendl to Murray’s team this year appears to have been a good move so far – Indian Wells apart – with the Scot’s year beginning with victory in Brisbane, a semi-final run at the Australian Open and a final appearance in Dubai.

Murray’s early defeat by Guillermo Garcia-lopez of Spain in California was a huge shock and the warm, breezy conditions in Miami could have been another banana skin. But although Falla, who served for the match against Roger Federer at Wimbledon two years ago, hit back from an early break, Murray was always in control.

The world No.4 won four straight games to take the first set and though he stumbled a little when letting a 4-1 lead in the second become 4-3, he broke again and then served out for victory.

Britain’s two pairs in the men’s doubles are due in action today. Colin Fleming and Ross Hutchins, looking to bounce back from losing to the Murray brothers in Indian Wells, take on Mardy Fish and Julian Knowle in round one.

Jamie Murray teams up with Jurgen Melzer against the Indian No.6 seeds Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna. Murray was always in control against Falla but will have to step up a gear