Wednesday 11 June 2014 15:55, UK
Andy Murray made a routine return to action on a grass court with a comfortable 6-4 6-4 victory over Paul-Henri Mathieu at the Aegon Championships at Queen’s Club.
Defending champion Murray took an hour and 26 minutes to get the better of the Frenchman, with both men moving well and producing some entertaining tennis.
With new coach Amelie Mauresmo watching on, Wimbledon champion Murray made light of the quick turnaround from the clay of the French Open to open his grasscourt account in decent enough style.
Murray broke Mathieu in the very first game of the match, and that proved enough for him to clinch the set with just three break points in total on offer in the entire first set.
The second set went with serve until Murray broke in the seventh game to lead 4-3, although he faced two break points on his own serve as he tried to confirm the break in the next game.
Some big serving and a brilliant point including some of Murray’s action-packed shot-making helped him fend them all off and take the game to lead 5-3.
Mathieu almost folded in the next game as he faced more break points, but to his credit he still produced some solid points to hold and force Murray to serve it out.
Serve it out he did though, as Murray finished off a fine first grasscourt appearance to go through to the last 16 and a match with Radek Stepanek.
