Andy Murray did little more than he had to in reaching the third round of the Australian Open with a workmanlike 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 win in an hour and 41 minutes over the outclassed young Portuguese Joao Sousa in heat that would have tested a camel.
“For the past five years I’ve prepared for this tournament in Miami, where it’s very hot, so I was ready for this heat,” Murray said.
He served to a high level, with 14 aces and 80% success on his first serve. His second serve brought him a respectable 66% return but his work at the net was flawless as he volleyed nine clear winners from as many visits. He couldn’t ask for much more.
The Scot’s next match is a first-time encounter with the 22-year-old Lithuanian Ricardas Berankis, whose earlier straight sets win over the 25th seed Florian Mayer in marginally cooler conditions was something of a minor surprise.
Although Murray knows him well – “I practised with him a couple of weeks ago” – they have never met competitively. So another foray into uncharted waters for Murray, against the son of a taxi driver and post office worker from Vilnius. – Guardian
