(REUTERS) – Andy Murray beat Belgian Xavier Malisse 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 in the second round at the Queen’s Club championships, with Rafael Nadal also through after a 6-4, 6-4 win over Michael Ebden yesterday. Just five days after losing to Nadal in the French Open semi-finals on clay, Britain’s world number four made a stuttering start to the Wimbledon grasscourt warm-up event in a match played in two chunks either side of a lengthy rain break.
Nadal saw off a determined challenge by Australian qualifier Ebden by breaking the 23-year-old at the first opportunity in each set, closing out the match after seeing his start delayed by almost three hours because of the day’s rain.
Croatia’s Marin Cilic, the eighth seed, wasted no time against French qualifier Arnaud Clement, winning 6-4, 6-4 before the showers arrived, while big-serving South African Kevin Anderson eased past American Donald Young 6-2, 6-4.
Argentina’s 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro made it into the last 16 with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Igor Kuznitsyn, while 11th seed Thomaz Bellucci came through a stern test against Turkish world number 112 Marsel Ilhan, winning 6-2, 6-7(3) 7-6(5).
A nation’s hopes will be on Murray’s shoulders over the next few weeks as he single-handedly attempts to end Britain’s wait for a men’s grand slam champion dating back to 1936, but it was his suspect right ankle everyone was watching yesterday however, as the 24-year-old second seed took his first strides on the lush Queen’s Club turf.
Murray rolled his ankle during his third round victory over Germany’s Michael Berrer at Roland Garros, sustaining a slight tear to the ligament, but showed no obvious lingering effects as he raced into an early 3-0 lead.
His progress was slowed by a downpour that sent fans scuttling off to the Pimms stands dotted around the exclusive west London club and when play resumed Malisse played his part in some eye-catching rallies.
Murray survived two break points immediately after the restart before closing out the first set from the baseline.
He seemed poised for a straight-sets win when he had three break points at 5-5 in the second set but Malisse survived and then capitalised on some loose Murray forehands in the next game to take the match into a decider.
With dark clouds hovering, Murray broke the Malisse serve in the third game of the second set thanks to a wayward forehand from the pony-tailed Belgian and sealed victory when his opponent dribbled a sliced backhand into the net.
“The ankle was a little sore at times but I’ve just got to get used to the new surface,” Murray said on court. “It’s getting better every day and I just have to keep doing the right things. The court played very slow for a grass court and there were lots of long rallies.”
Murray, who won the title in 2009, will face Serbia’s Janko Tipsarevic in the third round after he beat Michael Russell on two tie-breaks, 7-6(3), 7-6(5).