Andy Murray makes fast start in Zhuhai, defeats Ye Cong Mo to reach second round

Andy Murray of Britain hits a return against Mo Yecong of China during their men`s singles first round match at the Zhuhai Championships tennis tournament in Zhuhai. Pic/AFP

Former World No. 1 Andy Murray marked his return to China with a victory over Mo Ye Cong 7-5, 6-3 to reach the second round at the Zhuhai Championships.

The 36-year-old three-time Grand Slam champion performed impressively to register a victory over a home wild card player in a match that lasted one hour and 42 minutes.

Murray had too much for the World No. 668 Mo, keeping all five break points he faced to possess his record of never losing to a player outside the Top 200 in the ATP Rankings.

"It was a very fast court. The conditions are very humid and he played a solid level and pushed me while I was trying to adjust to the conditions. Once I managed to get ahead in the second set, I felt a little bit more comfortable," Murray was quoted as saying by ATP.

Murray will next play Aslan Karatsev. The World No. 63 snapped a four-match losing streak against the Italians when he defeated Matteo Arnaldi, who reached the fourth round at the US Open.

Karatsev scripted a stunning comeback as he rallied from a set and a break down to advance 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 6-2 in three hours and 23 minutes.

Chinese star Shang Juncheng was unable to progress to the second round after suffering a defeat against Mackenzie McDonald in his first tour-level event on home soil.

The sixth seed played with too much power against Shang. McDonald captured a 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-3 win in two hours and 32 minutes.

In other action, fifth seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry moved past Australian qualifier Luke Saville 6-4, 6-4 to set a meeting with Czech Dalibor Svrcina.

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