ANDY MURRAY CRUISES THROUGH
British No.1 storms into third round with simple straight sets win over Gulbis
ANDY MURRAY insists he is on track at Wimbledon after dispatching Ernests Gulbis in straight sets in the second round today.
The British No.1 had a few problems in his first-round match against Robert Kendrick, dropping the second set, but it was a different story today as he cruised through 6-2, 7-5, 6-3.
Murray said: "He had a couple of chances on my serve early on but didn't take them and I relaxed after that.
"I served the whole match great, I served really well, didn't give him many opportunities at all, used my slice backhand well - the variety was very good today - it's a lot better than my first match.
"It's a different kind of match, Kendrick was serve-volleying, playing very aggressive and he loves playing on grass so he didn't struggle with the slice backhand so much.
"Today I definitely served better, made more returns in the court. I felt very comfortable.
"If I serve like that for the rest of the tournament, I've got a good chance of doing well."
The first set merely proved the variety of shot-making in the Murray game. One sliced backhand lob had Gulbis scrambling embarrassingly. One drop-shot winner from behind the baseline was masterful in its execution.
His feet were quicker, his mind more creative, his serve more solid. So much so that he won 16 straight points on serve while breaking the Gulbis serve twice.
It was a set guaranteed to create uncertainty in his opponent and Gulbis looked like a man whose ranking has tumbled from 53 to 74 this year.
The second set was much more competitive, Gulbis showing glimpses of the talent which had seen him defeat Tim Henman at the French Open two years ago in the first round.
But the Murray serve was in fine shape, thundering balls down at 132mph, hitting three successive aces, in the 10th game, determined not to give his opponent any encouragement.
Murray, so sure of his own game, simply waited for his chance and he finally engineered the crucial break in the 11th game, drawing the error on the Gulbis backhand before serving out impressively.
The third set was just as convincing, the vital break coming in the third game, and Murray finished off the match with another break courtesy of a ripping forehand cross-court pass on match point.
For Murray it is two down and five to go. And the game is coming on nicely.
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