Andy Murray made short work of his first ever British opponent at Wimbledon as he swept past wild card Liam Broady in the opening round yesterday.
Murray, seeded second, saw off the 22-year-old world number 235 from Stockport 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 on Centre Court.
It was the first all-British meeting at the All England Club since Tim Henman beat Martin Lee in 2001.
Murray, 29, goes on to face Yen-Hsun Lu of Chinese Taipei in the second round tomorrow.
The Scot needed just one hour and 43 minutes to end Broady’s Centre Court debut, the 2013 champion and world number two not surprisingly outclassing a player with just one tour-level win to his name.
Murray might have been playing a familiar face but he was in aggressive mood, dropping just six points on his first serve and winning 18 of 19 at the net.
Having gone 10 years without playing a fellow Briton, he has now beaten three this month following wins over Aljaz Bedene and Kyle Edmund at Queen’s Club.
“When we start the match we are both trying to win, but it does not make it any easier,” Murray told BBC Sport.
“Liam played better as the match went on and fought through to the end and played some good stuff.
“The crowd is always very fair here, getting behind both players and knowing what a good shot is. Liam got a good ovation when he left court and I’m sure he will have enjoyed that.”
Clinical Murray beats Broady and the rain
Murray, watched by recently returned coach Ivan Lendl at Grand Slam for the first time in three years, began his 11th Wimbledon campaign with a comfortable win.
Broady, 22, had experienced the Murray game first-hand during practice sessions earlier this year but could not bridge the gulf in class once their first competitive meeting got under way.
Within five minutes he was a break of serve down, and moments later he was literally playing a shot off his knees as Murray ran him ragged.
Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.
