Murray makes perfect start in Tour Finals

British number one Andy Murray defeats Sweden's Robin Soderling while Bryan brothers win doubles match.

LONDON: Andy Murray made a perfect start to his bid to win the ATP World Tour Finals for the first time with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Sweden’s Robin Soderling.

Murray was in fine form as he opened the annual end-of-season event, featuring the world’s top eight players, with the kind of dominant display that hinted the British number one is capable of providing a home winner for the fans at London’s O2 Arena.

Soderling, seeded fourth, arrived in the English capital full of confidence after an impressive year, but fifth-seed Murray was at his imperious best as he dismissed him in one hour and 20 minutes. A brilliant cross-court winner on the run opened up a 30-0 lead in Soderling’s second service game and allowed Murray the chance to earn three break points.

He converted the third with a fine return that flashed back past the Swede for the first break. Soderling’s position at four in the world rankings is a career-best mark, but Murray can regain that position from him with a good run here and he refused to offer the Swede a route back into the match.

Meanwhile, in the first men’s double match, Bob and Mike Bryan began their title-defence with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Jurgen Melzer and Philip Petzchner in Group A.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 22^nd, 2010.