Andy Murray eases past Jarkko Nieminen to reach pre-quarters – London Olympics 2012
Great Britain’s number one, Andy Murray got the better of Jarkko Nieminen from Finland in straight sets at the London Olympics 2012 on Tuesday. He nudged up a 6-2, 6-4 victory against the 31-year-old to secure a spot in the third round at Games of the x*x Olympiads in London, United Kingdom.
Seeded third in the tournament, Murray broke his rival’s serve in the opening game of each set to carve out the victory in their fifth encounter. After stealing the show in 61 minutes, the Brit not only improved to a 5-0 record in the FedEx ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) Head 2 Head series against Nieminen but also powered into the third round.
The delighted local star was quoted after overpowering Nieminen:
“I played well today. He didn’t start the match that well. Then he definitely played better in the second set. I had the momentum for most of the match. Once I got a break up in the second [set], it was important to stay focused, because I was getting a lot of free points from my serve.”
The world number four, Murray high-spiritedly entered the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. He drew the first blood in the opening game and maintained his lead. The Scot smoothly plucked his entire serves and cashed in another break chance in the fifth game, eventually sealing the opener by winning six games to two.
Murray, who made a final berth in Wimbledon three weeks ago, maintained his intensity in the following set and got the critical break in the opening game. He then easily swiped his entire serves with poise and subsequently clicked the set with a 6-4 win.
All in all, the 25-year-old was clearly the better challenger throughout the battle. He smashed six aces and hammered 26 winners to rule the match.
Next in queue for Murray is the Cypriot number one, Marcos Baghdatis.
The Cypriot commented about his next match-up against Murray:
"I've played Andy two times on Wimbledon's Centre Court. For sure he's a great player. He will have the upper hand against me, but I'll just go out there and give it a try. You never know. I have nothing to lose.”
Baghdatis shocked 16th seeded Richard Gasquet in straight sets to book a third round spot. He recorded a 6-4, 6-4 score line in 74 minutes to outclass the French seed. Baghdatis hammered 14 aces and required a single break of serve in each set to earn the limelight.
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