Top seed and defending champion Andy Murray won his ninth straight match at Wimbledon with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 rout of German Dustin Brown. The Brit was in control throughout the entertaining affair as he seeks his third title in London.
The Jamaican-born German played his flashy style of tennis from the word go with his big serves, net approaches and drop shots and early on, it kept him in the match. He saved a break point in the fourth game and with his droppers already into double figures, the match was still on serve.
Andy Murray dominates Dustin Brown in second round of Wimbledon
His eye-catching tennis was still holding firm as Brown served at 4-3 down. This time, his showmanship couldn’t help him escape trouble and a double fault gifted Murray the break and a 5-3 lead. At 40-15, a fine serve down the T gave the two-time champ a one set.
Both players held relatively easily to open the second set. Brown dug out of 15-40 at 1-1 with his unique style, drawing a Murray forehand error to hold on game point. Murray’s game was to go to another level as he broke for a 3-2 lead courtesy of his flashy opponent’s groundstroke error and missed volley.
The world number one was to get involved in a bit of cat-and-mouse with his feisty foe, a wonderfully angled drop shot bringing up break point and a netted volley by Brown hands Murray a 5-2 lead. An ace and a pair of unforced errors, including one on set point by Brown allow Murray to hold to love for a commanding two-set lead.
The crowd was getting the best of both worlds: a show by Brown and a Murray masterclass. It was 30-30 on the first game of the third set as the German was in danger of falling behind quickly, but a backhand volley and superb serve gave him an opening hold. The German’s game was beginning to dip and a shanked forehand gave the Brit a 2-1 lead.
Murray would stretch his lead in short order. After holding from 30-30, his masterful feel was now on display, a looping shot landing at the feet of a stranded Brown to take a commanding 4-1 lead. The remainder of the match was a formality as Murray closed things out to 30 to secure a third round matchup with the erratic but talented Fabio Fognini.
The Italian defeated Murray earlier this year in Rome, but that was on clay and on grass, the Brit is a solid favorite.
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