Andy Murray steamrolled past Stan Wawrinka in the first round of the ATP 250 event at Eastbourne which is the last rehearsal event prior to Wimbledon Championships. The last year or so has been a tough journey for both players as they had to deal with career-threatening injuries. For Murray, it was a hip issue that needed a complex surgery while Wawrinka's left knee sidelined the Swiss player.
It was a first-round blockbuster as both Murray and Wawrinka were awarded wild-card entries into this tournament. But it was Andy Murray who needed the win the most as the former Wimbledon champion was set to play his second official match in almost a year.
Last week he fell short against Nick Kyrgios despite having a one-set lead.
Andy Murray got past Wawrinka, awaits Kyle Edmund next
The former world No. 1 made the most out of his latest encounter. Against Wawrinka, he displayed a solid game of Tennis. A pretty even start of the match quickly went away when Murray broke Wawrinka's serve in the fourth game of the opening set. Froom that point on it was the Brit who dictated the rhythm. Hee secured the first set by 6-1 after just half an hour.
The second act started the same as the first one but the balance didn't last long. The fifth game was crucial as Murray earned another break of serve to put himself in the driving seat again. With nothing left to lose, Wawrinka forced a late comeback but Murray stood firmly on his ground.
Minutes later, he was able to wrap up the set by 6-3 and secure a slot in the next round.
According to ESPN, Andy Murray will next cross paths with Kyle Edmund, Britain's highest-ranked male player. Andy Murray (156 ATP) leads Kyle Edmund (18 ATP) by 2-0 in head to head stats.
Andy Murray can gather some precious wins at Eastbourne
The Nature Valley International could be the place where Andy Murray will start his ascent to the top. And, by all indications, it's going to be a tough journey for a guy who use to stay on the men's tennis summit.
Well-aware of the difficult road ahead, Andy Murray offered some insight on how hard is to get back at the top.
According to the ATP official website, the 31-year-old decided to look for inspiration in Juan Martin del Potro's comeback. The Argentine came back from the brink of retirement to climb up into the top five.
The signs are encouraging as Andy Murray joins Novak Djokovic on the list of potential Wimbledon candidates. With Roger Federer looking a bit patchy last week in Halle, it seems that the upcoming Grand Slam event might deliver some exciting games of tennis.