• Monte Carlo Masters

Murray secures first win since January

Andy Murray enjoyed his first taste of clay this season in Monte Carlo © PA Photos

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Monte Carlo Masters seedings

Andy Murray got his season back on track with a comprehensive 6-1 6-4 win over Radek Stepanek to reach the third round of the Monte Carlo Masters.

The Brit's season went off the rails following his run to the final of the Australian Open, as he looked hopelessly out of form during the spring hard-court campaign, but he looked far more settled on the clay in Monaco and dispatched world No. 70 Stepanek in an hour and 28 minutes.

Murray has had a torrid couple of months, suffering a string of first-round exits, but the start of the campaign on clay could well herald an upturn in fortunes.

At 32-years-old, Stepanek is heading into the autumn of his career but is still an accomplished player and he attempted to mix his play up to unsettle Murray. The Scot could be forgiven for being nervous, but he started brightly and after testing Stepanek in his opening service game he secured a break in his second.

Stepanek was happy to mix things up from both the baseline and the net but it did not vex Murray in any way. When Stepanek advanced it provided Murray with a target to pass and he was equally at home trading blows from the baseline.

Securing the break in the third game appeared to fill Murray with confidence and he fired off a string of winners - including his trademark drop shot.

Murray hit just one unforced error in the set and sealed the opening stanza with a glorious backhand crosscourt that left Stepanek reaching for thin air. The set was Murray's first successful one since January.

After losing seven games on the spin, Stepanek stopped the rot with a service hold at the start of the second set. But the second set followed the same path as the first as Murray, working angles and changes of pace, secured a break on his opponent's second service game.

Murray has a habit of taking his foot off the gas when in a position of authority and after breaking he served up three break points. He shook himself from his slumber in time to hold, only to surrender his serve in the seventh game.

But it was always clear that Murray held too many guns and he sealed the victory with a break of the Stepanek serve.

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