Murray sends out a message after first-set fright

(DAVID ASHDOWN)

Spectators on the outside courts waited in vain for play to resume after rain forced the players off shortly after 5pm on the opening day of the 125th Championships here yesterday. To the relief of home fans with Centre Court tickets, a Spanish storm that had gathered under the stadium's retractable roof at about the same time eventually blew itself out.

Andy Murray, Britain's perennial hope here at the All England Club, was looking more than a little concerned after his first-round opponent, the Spaniard Daniel Gimeno-Traver (right), took the first set with an increasingly confident barrage of bold serves and attacking forehands. The world No 56's decline, nevertheless, was as spectacular as his whirlwind start had been. From 3-3 in the second set he lost 15 games in succession as Murray won 4-6, 6-3, 6-0, 6-0.

It was a remarkable turnaround and may have had something to do with Gimeno-Traver's fitness. The 25-year-old from Valencia took a medical time-out for treatment on his right knee after the fifth game of the third set.

By the end Murray was playing with all the confidence he had rediscovered over the last two months, culminating in his run to the semi-finals of the French Open and victory in the Aegon Championships at Queen's Club last week, though he admitted afterwards that he had been second best at first.

"He was hitting the ball very big," Murray said. "I just managed to hang in there, but once I got ahead I relaxed a bit and played really well."

Murray did not appear in any trouble until he served at 4-4. The 24-year-old Scot had dropped just two points in his first four service games but was broken in his fifth as Gimeno-Traver went on the attack. The Spaniard served out to take the first set after 44 minutes.

In the second set the turnaround was remarkable. Murray, looking much more confident, served out with an ace to level the contest and broke immediately at the start of the third set. The last two sets flashed by in just three-quarters of an hour amid a whirl of Murray winners, with Gimeno-Traver winning just 15 points in the last 12 games.

"I've played against him before and practised with him," Murray said. "I've seen him play some great matches, but he can be quite up and down. I thought he played very well. He served very well on the break points. I thought he deserved to be in front at the time."