Andy Murray Tops Alexander Bublik, Advances to 2nd Round of 2017 Wimbledon

Defending champion Andy Murray opened his 2017 Wimbledon campaign on Monday with a rain-interrupted straight-sets win over Alexander Bublik on Centre Court.

The world No. 1 eased to a 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 win over the Russian despite showing visible signs of the hip injury he has carried into the tournament.

Murray will play Dustin Brown in the next round following the latter's triumph over Joao Sousa.

The 20-year-old made a bright start to the match as he was unfazed by the prospect of facing Murray, and a double-fault handed him two break points in the opening game.

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While Bublik couldn't take them, the New York Times' Ben Rothenberg praised his approach as he held his first service game:

It would be the last he would win in the first set, however, as Murray—despite limping at times—eased through the remainder.

A pair of big serves almost saw Bublik hold in his next attempt as he saved two break points, but two double-faults gave Murray a third opportunity.

The Scot took it ruthlessly with a lovely passing shot, and two marvellous backhands—a perfectly weighted lob and a slice down the line—secured his second break on the way to taking the set.

Murray needed to do little to open the second set with a break as Bublik hit his fifth double-fault of the contest amid some poor shot-making, but it didn't stop the youngster from enjoying himself, per BBC Tennis:

The Russian made the contest more competitive as he improved on his serve, and while his repeated attempts to catch Murray out with drop shots remained a fairly ineffective tactic, the method did bear slightly more fruit in the second set as the Scot's success at the net fell from 86 per cent to 67 per cent, per Wimbledon's official website.

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Bublik had a golden chance to break back when he earned three break points as Murray attempted to serve out the set, but the two-time Wimbledon champion rattled off five points in succession to hold and take a 2-0 lead overall.

Per the Press Association's Eleanor Crooks, Murray opened the third set with another break before a brief rain delay:

After play resumed, there was some sloppy play from Murray, and he was forced to save a break point in the fourth game. Across the net, Bublik's ultra-aggressive style meant he was making too many errors and was unable to apply sustained pressure to complement some eye-catching shots.

Murray, by contrast, was mechanical in the way he closed out the set, breaking Bublik to move 5-2 ahead and serving it out with ease.