ANDY BACK IN GROOVE
TENNIS: FRENCH OPEN Murray finds form to avoid slip-up More woe for Jo
® from IAIN STEWART ® from IAIN STEWART in Paris
ANDY MURRAY got his mojo back just in time to avoid copying Angelique Kerber’s early exit.
The world No.1 is into the French Open second round after defeating Andrey Kuznetsov 6-4 4-6 6-2 6-0.
Kerber, the women’s No.1, had crashed out in the first round in Paris and at one stage it looked like Murray could suffer the same fate.
His preparations had been hampered by illness, poor form and coming to terms with his new life as a married dad of one.
In the first two sets, grumpy Murray was moaning to his box, clapping ironically and verbally beating himself up.
But his mood changed thanks to an amazing rally at the start of the third set which the Scot somehow won.
Fun
He then won the next eight points, and the third set, and then the fourth 6-0. It looked like he was finally having fun.
Murray said: “I got the break, and then obviously didn’t look back from there.
“It was better. I still think I can do some things a bit better – I will try to keep that going. It wasn’t that I was finding it funny or anything out there, I was just trying to find a way to get through as efficiently as possible. I did that in the end.”
Murray’s next faces Martin Klizan, who beat Frenchman Laurent Lokori in five sets.
Lokori refused to shake hands amid a row over celebrations of a doublefault and accusations of feigning injury.
Brit No. 2 Kyle Edmund breezed through 6-3 6-2 7-5 against Gastao Elias, of Portugal.
He said: “I’m happy, but it’s only the first round. It’s not like I have made semis or finals for three years in a row.”