Andy Murray secures his place in the second round at Wimbledon after beating Ryan Peniston 6-3 6-0 6-1… with Briton next up against Dominic Thiem or Stefanos Tsitipas
Andy Murray showed no pity for unannounced compatriot Ryan Peniston when he gave a commanding performance for Roger Federer and the Princess of Wales.
With a prestigious crowd in the Royal Box, Murray needed just a fraction of two hours to beat the British wildcard 6-3 6-0 6-1 Under the roof of Center Court away from the elements.
Peniston, from Southend, is a modest 268th but is at his best on grass, as he has shown with three wins in the last two editions of the Cinch Championships at Queen’s Club.
With his nimble footwork and short backswing, he gave Murray some awkward moments early on and created two break points when he stayed close in the first five games.
Against a player of the 36-year-old Scottish calibre, you have to take them though, and with Murray starting to dictate the game more, he won the next 11 games to dominate the game.
Andy Murray booked his place in the second round at Wimbledon after a victory at Center Court
The British star cruised to a dominant victory over compatriot Ryan Peniston on Center Court
Cheers went up as Peniston won a consolation game and he contributed to some scintillating rallies, but found a huge gap between himself and the two-time champion.
Murray waited for Stefanos Tsitsipas’ winner against Dominic Thiem in the second round. Thiem led by a set before it became one of dozens of games postponed due to rain.
“It’s great to be back here on Center Court. I started quite nervous, and it was hesitant, but once I got the break I played some good things,” said Murray after the win.
“It’s been a long time since I felt this good physically when I came to Wimbledon. Hopefully I’m ready for a good run.
“It was great to have some royalty here and some tennis royalty as well. Roger is here supporting this event. The last time he saw me here was here at the Olympics, when he supported Stan Wawrinka (against me).’