The French Open was lacking some star power as Rafael Nadal wrapped up his eighth career title at Roland Garros, as British star and newly minted U.S. Open champ Andy Murray pulled out for a back injury, but he appears ready to return as he defeated Nicolas Mahut at the Aegon Championships.
Murray faced some rough weather and was able to pull out the match in straight sets, winning 6-3 7-6 (4) in under an hour to advance. Nadal appears to be the favorite after the way he has played all year, while Murray will be looked at by many as the chance for a British player to win the tournament again finally. Missing the French Open was out of necessity and now he will be back for the championship at the All England Club and this time he will have a Grand Slam to his name.
Murray emerged unscathed as he completed a rain-delayed 6-3 7-6 (4) win over Frenchman Nicolas Mahut at the Aegon Championships on Thursday in his first match following a four-week break caused by a back injury.
Murray faces a busy day ahead at a cold and damp Queen's Club. He will be back on court again for a third-round match against Australian Marinko Matosevic as organizers try to get the grass court event back on schedule. The top seed, who missed the French Open after being struck down in Rome, needed only 45 minutes on day four of the Wimbledon warm-up event to ease past Mahut.
Resuming at 6-3 2-2, Murray rattled through a brisk second set and brought up match point by threading a screaming forehand down the line winner. Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is another player who will have to put in a double shift on Thursday after beating compatriot Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-3 6-7 6-3 to reach the third round. Former champion Lleyton Hewitt showed he can still do damage on the slick grass as he hustled past big-serving American sixth seed Sam Querrey 5-7 6-3 6-4 in a third-round encounter.
Second-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych also found his groove to record a 6-3 6-4 third-round win over Slovenia's Grega Zemlja.
"It is tough to get into a rhythm with all the delays. I managed to get through it in the end and hopefully it's a good warm-up for later," Murray said in a courtside interview.
"Missing the French Open was tough. You realize how much it means to you.
"(Today) the back felt great especially with the conditions we have had. It is very cold and I'm sure, as anyone who has had a back problem knows, that's not good.
"But even with all the stopping and starting it feels great and that is probably the most satisfying thing about the match."
(Reuters Quotes)
