Andy Murray opened the defence of his Wimbledon title with victory over David Goffin, after walking on to Centre Court to a standing ovation. Murray, 27, received a rapturous reception as he fulfilled the tradition of returning men’s champions by opening play on Centre Court. The Briton, seeded third, had expected to feel the pressure of the occasion but he swept past Goffin 6-1 6-4 7-5.

He will play Slovenian Blaz Rola in the second round on Wednesday. “I thought it was a very high standard match,” Murray told BBC Sport. “I was glad to finish it in three. Sometimes you can win in three sets and not play that well, but I’m pleased with the way I struck the ball. “I was nervous this morning and I was nervous last night, but once you sit down on the chair it’s time to get on with this year.”

Murray is the first British man to defend the Wimbledon title since Fred Perry won for the third time in 1936, and the queue for tickets began forming outside the All England Club as early as Saturday morning. There was plenty of support from closer to home on Centre Court, with Murray’s grandparents, Roy and Shirley Erskine, and father Will watching from the Royal Box, while his mother Judy sat with her son’s new coach, Amelie Mauresmo, and the rest of his team nearby.

Any nerves the champion might have felt had clearly settled once play got under way, with the Scot picking up where he had left off in last year’s final win over Novak Djokovic. He broke serve at the first opportunity, and once again as an early backhand winner and a beautiful forehand lob helped him ease through the first set in 29 minutes. Goffin, ranked 105 in the world, went into the match with just three tour-level wins on grass in his career, and when he leaked a forehand wide to drop serve in the second set, it became a matter of damage limitation for the Belgian.
His best results had come on the clay of Roland Garros and a second, heavy slip on the fresh turf betrayed his discomfort as he tried in vain to track a Murray passing shot.

Murray thumped an ace down the middle to move two sets clear after 71 minutes, and the way he pumped his fist while heading back to the chair suggested there would be no let-up. Goffin finally showed flashes of his best form in the third set but could not capitalise at 15-40 in game four, burying an attempted drop shot into the net before Murray slammed the door shut with a forehand winner.

It had otherwise been a largely dominant display on serve from Murray, and the pressure finally told on Goffin when he double-faulted at 5-5 on his way to losing serve once again. Murray injected a little drama into proceedings by blazing a forehand drive-volley wide as he slipped to 0-30 while serving for the contest, but three points later he stood at match point. His eighth ace of the day sealed victory and a delighted Murray looked to the sky before leaving Centre Court with a wave to the crowd.

“To come to the court and get that reception, it was very nice to come out,” added Murray. “I think the crowd was pretty much full from the start. It was great.” He added: “I played very well. I hit the ball clean from the beginning of the match. I thought the second and third sets were a very high level.”

Courtesy: BBC TENNIS