- Andy Murray had a convincing win over Liam Broady in his first match since the Davis Cup Finals to open his campaign in Schroders Battle of the Brits
- Kyle Edmund and Dan Evans offered brilliant performances beating James Ward and Jay Clarke
- Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski stunned by Broady and Cameron Norrie
ROEHAMPTON, UK – On the first day of the Battle of the Brits, Andy Murray beat Liam Broady in his first match since the Davis Cup, with wins also for Kyle Edmund & Dan Evans
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In the blockbuster clash of the Day 1 at the Battle of the Brits Andy Murray, playing his first match since 2019 Davis Cup, finished off with an ace to clinch a 6-2 6-2 win over Liam Broady.
Clearly, he has to improve in different areas, but the score and the level of his game were definitely encouraging. In the Battle of the Brits, the singles players were divided into two groups of four, while the six doubles pairs were split into two groups of three, with the semi-finals and final to be played at the end of the week.
READ MORE | Tennis | Schroders Battle of the Brits | Day 2 Schedule & Preview & How to Watch
The tournament, played with no ballkids and no line-judges, will raise £100,000 for NHS Charities Together.
Before the matches, the players knelt down to show their encouragement for the Black Lives Matter movement and their battles against racism.
The importance of their message against racism, and the impact of the widespread solidarity among athletes became evident at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester on Monday, when a “White Lives Matter Burnley” banner towed behind a plane just before the Premier League match between Manchester City and the Clarets.
Andy Murray def. Liam Broady 6-2 6-2
Murray was satisfied with his performance and declared the courts are tight. He served well but he didn’t hit that well, he admitted in the post-match interview. These matches at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton could help the World No.129 who missed the rest of the Davis Cup last year after his debut match with the pelvic bone injury.
Murray looked dominant in both sets and even showed a sublime backhand on his way to build a 5-2 lead in a marathon 13-minute game in the second set. Soon after, he clenched his fist in celebration.
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Dan Evans def. Jay Clarke 6-3 6-1
The Brit No.1 Dan Evans took a convincing win as he beat Jay Clarke 6-3 6-1 to kick off his
Battle of The Brits campaign in the Greg Rusedski group. He looked in very good shape against the younger and inexperienced opponent. Evans found sharp angles and used his variety to prevent his opponent to find his rhythm.
The British No.1 lived up to the expectations and, after a rusty beginning, he took a timely break to move 3-2 up in the opening set. From there, he asserted his authority while Clarke over-hit and made a streak of unforced errors.
Kyle Edmund def. James Ward 6-1 6-4
In the Tim Henman Group, Kyle Edmund defeated James Ward 6-1 6-4. He seemingly bulked up during the quarantine. His physical superiority and his devastating groundstrokes were the key factors in the match. Edmund, very effective on serve also, used also his backhand to create an edge against an opponent without a special shot.
Liam Broady/Cameron Norrie def. Jamie Murray/Neal Skupski 3-6 7-5 11-9
The tournament opened with a major surprise in the doubles event as Broady and Cameron Norrie started with a win over the favourite Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski 3-6 7-5 11-9. Broady and Norrie will complete the Day 2 schedule against Evans and Lloyd Glasspool in the Paul Hutchins Group
Edmund/Ward def. Inglot/Peniston 7-5 6-3
Clarke dropped out due to injury so Ryan Peniston, ranked 762 in doubles, took his place partnering specialist Dominic Inglot known as Dom the Bomb. Edmund played alongside Ward, after beating his partner in singles. The match developed without any real moments to remember. The level of the game remained quite flat, probably as a collateral effect of a long self-isolation period.
Inglot’s bombing serve wasn’t enough as he and Peniston managed to win a very low percentage of second serve points in the opening set. Ward and Edmund broke in the very last game to seal it. The lack of long rallies remained a feature in the second set, dominated by serve as much as the first. And Edmund forehand gave him and Ward the crucial break to go serving for the match at 5-3. The South-African born ended a fine day as he served out victory to seal a solid, dull, win.
How to Watch Schroders Battle of the Brits
For viewers in UK and Ireland, the match will be shown on Amazon Prime Video – Sign up for a free trial.
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Viewers outside of the UK will be able to watch on Eurosport and Tennis Channel in the US.
Play starts at 1pm (BST).
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