MMMM 2007 : 2007


MURRAY MAKES THE PERFECT START IN MADRID

Andy Murray confirmed his return to form after this
season's three-month wrist injury in convincing style, earning a flawless 6-4, 6-1 first-round result over Radek Stepanek on Monday at the Madrid Masters.

The 19th-ranked Scot called the performance one of his best:"There's no question. Not one of my service games went to deuce and I never faced a break point.

"I knew after I broke him to win the first set that I was
favourite to win the match."

Murray earned a spot in the second round against Juan Chela, the Argentine 15th seed.

While he prepares for that contest, the 20-year-old will also be waiting on Tuesday to explain himself to the ATP after his statement last week in Moscow that betting in tennis is progressing at fever-pitch.

After receiving unwanted criticism from Rafael Nadal among others, Murray quickly dialled back his sensationalism through his website.

But his blanket charges have piqued the interest of officials, who want to know more.

Murray says it was a all a misunderstanding. "I spoke to a few of the players and explained, They understood what I meant."

Qualifier Robby Ginepri lined up a second-round test against Roger Federer as he upset Austrian Jurgen Melzer 2-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-4.

The win was only the fifth since Wimbledon for the 72nd-ranked American whose form has taken a dive in recent seasons.

Federer, playing on the ATP for the first time since winning a fourth consecutive US Open title in September, then failing to save Switzerland in Davis Cup relegation, owns a 3-0 record over Ginepri.

Their last meeting was a quarter-final here a year ago which the Swiss swept in straight sets.

Argentine Juan Monaco also produced a comeback effort to start the penultimate Masters event of the season, with the race for the eight- man Masters Cup in Shanghai tightening with three weeks of ATP play remaining.

Monaco recovered to defeat Russian Igor Andreev 6-7 (5-7), 6-0, 6-4. Argentine Juan Del Potro also reached the second round, eliminating Italian Potito Starace 7-5, 6-1.

The South American next plays German Tommy Haas, the 11th seed, who stands eighth in the race to the season wrap-up thanks to a Stockholm semi-final at the weekend.

Stefan Koubek knocked out Jarkko Nieminen four days after the Finn reached the Stockholm quarter-finals, with the Austrian earning a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 victory.

Croatian Mario Ancic, who returned to action last week in
Stockholm after missing eight months with a virus followed by a shoulder injury, made more progress in a 6-4, 6-2 first-round defeat of France's Marc Gicquel.

Tournament fourth seed Russian Nikolay Davydenko became the fourth man to clinch a place in China alongside Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, the weekend Vienna champion.


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