Andy Murray claimed a 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 win over Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik in the first round of the Rotterdam Open.
The Briton threw down his racquet in frustration on the way to being broken at 5-5 but immediately levelled and took the opening set after a tie-break.
Murray let out a roar when he broke Bublik with crosscourt backhand to go 4-3 up in the second set and went on to serve out for the match.
He will play Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime in the next round.
“I’m looking forward to that one,” Murray told Amazon Prime. “He’s started the year very well, 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.”
Against Bublik, Murray was playing in his first match since his second-round defeat at the Australian Open and facing an opponent who had won his maiden ATP Tour title last week by beating world number three Alexander Zverev in the final of the Open Sud de France.
Both players failed to take break points in the first set before Bublik, who is number 31 in the world, eventually succeeded courtesy of a Murray double fault to go 6-5 up.
However, Bublik failed to serve out for the set and, after a tie-break in which Murray showed some of his classic retrieving skills, the Scot took the opener with his third set point.
Murray’s break in the seventh game of the second set put him on course to serve for the match and he duly did so to love.
“There were some tough moments in the first set for both of us,” said Murray. “I just managed to come through at the end of it – hit some great returns off some big second serves at the end and did a good job.
“It’s not easy playing against someone like that – he’s going for huge serves, a lot of drop shots and at times is looking disinterested but is still trying. You have to keep your focus and I did that well.”
Fellow Briton Cameron Norrie was also in action at the tournament and he won his second-round match against Russia’s Karen Khachanov 6-4 7-6 (7-5).
Norrie will meet whoever wins the Murray v Auger-Aliassime match in the third round.
