• Monte Carlo Masters

Impressive Murray crushes Troicki

A new-look Andy Murray made light work of Viktor Troicki © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Djokovic sails past Seppi in Monte Carlo
  
• News: Murray happy to hit the ground running in Monte Carlo
  
• News: Tsonga celebrates birthday with hard-fought victory
  
• Profile: Andy Murray

Andy Murray made a signal of intent in his opening match of the clay court season with a demolition of Viktor Troicki in the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters.

Sporting a shaved head under a baseball cap, Murray toyed with his rival - working him around the court and racing to a 6-0 6-3 victory in little over an hour.

Bigger tests will lie ahead against the masters of the clay court art, but on this evidence Murray has every right to be confident of a strong showing on the red dirt.

Murray has been making positive noises about his clay court campaign following some intensive training with coach Ivan Lendl and he served notice with a sublime drop shot in the opening game.

Troicki found it tough to hit through Murray and the British No. 1 broke serve at the third time of asking.

Murray was rapidly in the groove and toyed with Troicki in the second game, drawing his opponent to the net before throwing up a lob that the Serbian scampered back for only to send wide.

The one-way traffic continued as Murray broke again in the third game before holding serve to love in the fourth game.

Murray's pace around the court was impressive, as was his court craft and a lob volley worked three break points in the fifth game. Troicki saved the three break points, but Murray kept probing from the back of the court against a passive Troicki and a backhand drive down the line earned him a third break of the opening set.

The opening set was wrapped up in 28 minutes, with Murray dropping just two points on serve.

Troicki got on the board in the first game of the second set, being rewarded for coming forward and hitting aggressively.

Murray has been guilty of lapses in concentration in the past, but on this occasion he followed up Troicki's first success of the match with a love service hold and promptly broke the Serb in the third game.

Troicki did not wilt and at least gave Murray something to think about in the second set. He got ahead on a Murray service game for the first time in the match in the eighth game, but the Brit swatted away the threat and broke again to seal victory.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.