Andy Murray continued his extensive preparation for the Australian Open by being on the right track as he secured a comfortable opening win at the Hopman Cup, defeating Frenchman Benoit Paire in Perth.
Having secured his inaugural title of the year in Abu Dhabi just two days back, Murray arrived in Perth and cruised into top gear alongside Heather Watson to win 6-2, 7-5.
As the score depicts, Murray had an easy ride in the first set, but was made to work harder in the second one; eventually aggravating a minor shoulder bruise that he picked up in Abu Dhabi.
“It was a bit of an eye-opener when we arrived at the practice court this morning and it was 44 degrees [Celsius] outside,” Murray told BBC.
“I’m from a small town in Scotland and the weather is not quite like that there. The conditions here are fantastic to get ready for Melbourne.”
“I had the [shoulder] problem in Abu Dhabi couple of days ago and haven’t had much time to serve after that. We flew straight from there and arrived yesterday,” Murray said.
“It doesn’t really make sense for a right-handed player to have a problem with their left arm. So I am not sure exactly what it was and I had a scan in Abu Dhabi and that was all clear.
“But it’s still a little bit sore today.”
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