Andy Murray: Former champion in Rotterdam defeats Alexander Bublik to reach second round | Tennis News

Andy Murray moves to 6-3 in 2022 with a straight-sets win over the tricky Alexander Bublik and will now face impressive young Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime on Thursday (not before 6.30pm GMT)

Andy Murray defeated Alexander Bublik to make a winning start at the World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam

Andy Murray made an impressive start to the World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam by defeating Alexander Bublik in straight sets on Wednesday.

Murray, who recently announced he will skip the clay-court season, sealed an impressive 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 victory against Bublik, who defeated world No 3 Alexander Zverev to win his maiden ATP Tour title in Montpellier on Sunday.

“There were some tough moments in the first set for both of us,” Murray said after the match. “I just managed to come through at the end of it. Some great returns off some big second serves from him at the end and I did a good job.

“It’s not easy playing against someone like that, huge serves, a lot of drop shots and you’ve got to keep your focus and I did that well tonight.”

Bublik, the world No 31, served for the opening set at 6-5 but was broken by the Scot before going on to lose a tense tiebreak 8-6.

Murray, the 2009 champion in Rotterdam, then broke serve in the seventh game of the second set to put him on course
to serve for the match and he duly did so to love, clinching the win in one hour and 42 minutes and set up a second-round tie against third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime.

“I’m looking forward to that one,” Murray said of the 21-year-old Canadian. “He started the year pretty well and is one of the best young players just now.

“I’ll need to be on my game if I want to beat him but it’s a great test for me and we’ll see what happens out there.”

Felix Auger-Aliassime reached the Australian Open quarter-finals

The Scot has been joined in Rotterdam by his former coach Daniel Vallverdu after ending his trail period with Jan de Witt.

If Murray overcomes Auger-Aliassime, he could face his compatriot Cameron Norrie, who reached his first quarter-final of the year by beating Karen Khachanov 6-4 7-6 (7-5).

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