Comfortable win for Murray
Andy Murray comfortably discarded Frenchman Nicolas Mahut to reach the fourth round of the Pacific Life Open tonight.
The 19-year-old saw off Wesley Moodie in the second round and was similarly untroubled against Mahut at Indian Wells.
Despite improving on a hapless first set to produce more of a fight in the second, Mahut never really stood a chance as Murray was ruthless throughout to win 6-1 6-3.
“I think I played well,” Murray said afterwards.
“It was always going to be difficult against him, he’s got a really big serve, he is pretty aggressive at the back off the forehand.
“You have to play solid tennis and not give him too many chances, put the pressure on his service games and I did that,” he told Sky Sports Xtra.
Murray’s opening service game was straightforward and his returns were even stronger as he immediately broke his 25-year-old opponent without conceding a point.
Mahut put up more of a fight in the third game but Murray still took command with a 3-0 lead.
Murray sprinted to perform a trademark drop-shot and take control of the fourth game before Mahut managed to save break point with his second ace of the match.
However, another choice shot set up the break again for Murray and this time he capitalised to cruise into a 4-0 lead.
The match finally went with serve for successive games as Mahut registered on the scoreboard to take it to 5-1 but Murray served out the set in the following game.
The one-sided opening set seemed to spark Mahut into life but his fightback was brief as Murray broke to take a 2-1 lead before holding the next.
Mahut was pushing the superior Scot harder though and held to take it to 3-2. Though Murray won the next game, Mahut made life awkward for him at times as he began to show flashes of creativity while his best serve of the match helped win him the seventh.
A sloppy shot into the net from close range by Murray gave Mahut a chance to capitalise and he then secured a break point which Murray saved. An ace gave the teenager advantage before he took the game for a 5-3 lead.
Mahut looked set to hold serve before a combination of Murray’s well-executed backhands and sloppy shots by the Frenchman gave Murray match point before the Dunblane native capitalised to close out the set and secure a fourth-round place.
