Third-seeded Murray coasted to a 6-1, 6-1, 6-0 mauling of 23-year-old Rola who was playing just the 10th match of his career, having only graduated from university in Ohio last year.
The British star eased to victory in just 84 minutes, hitting seven aces and 27 winners against the world number 92.
“It’s his [Rola’s] first year on grass, so it was tough for him,” said Murray. “But he has a good game and he’ll keep improving.
“I took care of my serve for the majority of the match and I played well. If you can finish matches as quickly as possible, then that’s better in the long run.”
In another match, French Open semi-finalist Ernests Gulbis became the highest-ranked man to lose so far when the 12th seed went down to Sergiy Stakhovsky of the Ukraine, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), who shocked Roger Federer in the second round in 2013.
The colourful Gulbis then denied he had lost all of his $500,000 winnings from the French Open in a Riga casino.
“I went to play blackjack, but there was no word how much I won or how much I lost,” he said. “They (reporters) asked me how much I lost. I said, ‘A lot’. I was joking.
“Next day in Latvia they say I lost all my winnings. My mother sends me a message next day asking am I crazy. I may be, but I’m not stupid.”
Li, Venus through to next round
Australian Open champion Li Na, a three-time quarter-finalist at the All England Club, swept to a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Austria’s Yvonne Meusburger, hitting 33 winners to just four from the world number 38.
Second seed Li, 32, goes on to face Barbora Zahlavova Strycova of the Czech Republic. She said she was unconcerned about her 21 unforced errors.
“If you want to play more aggressive, this is the normal way,” she explained.
Another match saw five-time champion Venus Williams defeating pint-sized Japanese Kurumi Nara 7-6 (7/4), 6-1 in a battle of little and large on Court 3.
The American, who is the oldest woman left in the draw, stands at an imposing 1.85m compared to Nara’s 1.55m and the difference in stature – both physical and sporting – eventually told despite the world number 41 breaking early in both sets.
“Feeling good getting into the next round,” said Venus.
“I think we both play a similar game, and she’s one of the kind of players who can get really competitive and every time she plays against me, she plays really well, so I have to be ready for that.”
Meanwhile, Polish fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska, the 2012 runner-up, also went through with a 6-4, 6-0 win over Australia’s Casey Dellacqua.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 26th, 2014.
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