Murray opens title defence in style, Halep hits her rhythm
The limp that often appeared to trouble Murray between points disappeared the moment the ball was in play, as he easily outclassed maverick Wimbledon debutant Alexander Bublik 6-1, 6-4, 6-2
LONDON: There were signs on Monday that Andy Murray was still troubled by the sore hip that had bothered him in the build up to Wimbledon — but they weren’t enough to stop him from marching straight into the second round.
The limp that often appeared to trouble the defending champion between points disappeared the moment the ball was in play, as he easily outclassed maverick Wim- bledon debutant Alexander Bublik 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 to go through.
There was so much uncertainty about the top seed’s form in the days running up to the grasscourt major, one British bookmaker had declared Murray ‘friendless’ in the runup to championships - with punters backing him to lose early rather than win the title for the third time.
Some doomsayers even feared he could become only the third men’s defending champion — after Manuel Santana in 1967 and Lleyton Hewitt in 2003 — to lose in the first round.
Others highlighted how Murray was on a two-match losing streak against players classified as lucky losers — as Bublik was having lost in the final round of qualifying but made it into the main draw thanks to another player’s withdrawal.
But any hopes that the 135thranked Kazakh could add his name to that illustrious list of ‘lucky losers’ were swiftly extinguished as Murray did not let Bublik’s array of unconventional shots, or two rain breaks, throw him off course as he secured a second round showdown with German showman Dustin Brown.
“Getting out on the match court... the adrenaline helps numb some of the pain. I moved well today and thought I did pretty well for the first match,” Murray said after walking off court. “I’ll spend some time with my physio this evening, get an ice bath, then have a light practice tomorrow. I’ll work a bit on my passing shots and lobs because it will be a different match against Dustin Brown.” Meanwhile, French Open finalist Simona Halep found her grasscourt rhythm to beat qualifier Marina Erakovic 6-4, 6-1 and take the first step towards a title that is wide open in the absence of 2016 champion Serena Williams.
Halep, one of the pre-tournament favourites in Paris, was beaten in three sets by Jelena Ostapenko and said last week she was still thinking about that missed opportunity as she fell asleep.
But with Serena, who secured her 23rd Slam in Australia, expecting her first child, Halep is again one of the names being talked up for Wimbledon and a first Grand Slam.
“I feel that everyone has a chance here, like in the French Open,” she told reporters.
The Romanian, a Wimbledon semifinalist in 2014, is one of four women who could top the rankings after the grasscourt Slam. Halep will climb from number two if she reaches at least the quarterfinals and other results go her way.
But despite such prizes in reach, she said she felt only “positive pressure” after dispatching the world 129 New Zealander in the first round.
She broke in the first set with a mighty backhand winner down the line when Erakovic was serving at 2-2, before powering through the second set, setting the tone by breaking at the first opportunity.
“In the end, I found the rhythm, and I hope I have it now for the next round,” she said.
“Here on grass, every day you play, every match you play, it’s like a big plus for your game, and you get used more and more.”
Halep faces Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia, ranked 97th in the world, in round two after she beat Britain’s Laura Robson.