Murray overcomes second set wobble to see off Simon in winning return in Madrid

By MIKE DICKSON FOR THE DAILY MAIL
Updated: 18:08 EST, 4 May 2011

After his doubles defeat with brother Jamie on Tuesday, Andy Murray walked straight on to a practice court next door for half an hour to break sweat properly.

There was no chance of him doing anything similar after an arduous victory over Gilles Simon that took him through to the third round of the Mutua Madrid Open.

Sweat was broken in ample quantities as he finally subdued mercurial Frenchman in the evening sunshine 6-4, 3-6, 6-0 after two hours and 25 minutes of physical exertion that was not the eventual runaway win the score suggested.

Serving up a treat: Andy Murray was back in action on clay against Gilles Simon

Great Scot: Murray celebrates winning the first set

A faltering Roger Federer needed to work even harder as he survived a match point before overcoming 39th-ranked Feliciano Lopez 7-6, 6-7, 7-6, recovering from 5-2 down in the deciding tiebreak.

Murray can gain further momentum on Thursday when he takes on Brazilian left-hander Thomaz Belluci, the world No 36, in these relatively speedy conditions at altitude.

The British No 1, watched by his regular team and — from a discreet distance — the touring expert coaches who come as part of his clothing deal, was rightfully pleased with a win that put his post-Australian Open blues further behind him.

‘I could have played better but it was good to get the win,’ he said. ‘My arm was a bit sore at the end but overall my body feels good. I got through the match without playing that well and that was something I was good at a couple of years ago.’

This was only his eighth match since losing the Melbourne final to Novak Djokovic, and his first since taking a set off Rafael Nadal in the Monte Carlo semis in mid-April.

Therefore, some errors at key times were to be expected, but there will have been much to please the likes of Australian Darren Cahill, his latest ‘consultant’, sitting with a three-striped posse in a corner of the  secondary Arantxa Sanchez court .

They had retreated to neutral territory and, despite warming him up, declined to give tactical advice because Simon is also an adidas endorsee. That is how the deal works.

It will be the same again when he faces the 23-year-old from Sao Paulo. Somehow you felt, whatever coaching system Murray was going to come up with, it was never going to be conventional, for all the prestigious offers of help.

Well played: Murray shakes hands with Gilles Simon after their second round match

The 23-year-old Scot did not, in any case, need anyone to tell him the drop shot is a good tactic against Simon, who moves far better side to side than he does forward and back.

Murray tortured him with it from the start and had chances to win in straight sets, only for ring rust to show through on some key points. He effectively clinched the match when managing a tough hold for 3-0 in the decider under considerable pressure from the beautifully timed baselining of his opponent.

The Scot struggled to hold his serve until the end, but really should benefit from this prolonged gallop.

Something is going to have to give this week between Nadal and Djokovic. The latter could, mathematically, replace the former as No 1 sometime this month and become the first holder of the position other than the Spaniard or Federer since February 2004.

Go go gadget legs: Gilles Simon stretches to to return a ball to Murray

What is certain is that one of the men’s game’s two longest streaks at present is going to be snapped. Either Nadal is going to lose his unbeaten record on clay going back to Roland Garros in 2009 or the Serb will end his run of 28 straight victories since the start of the season.

If Nadal, who had Cristiano Ronaldo among other friends from his favourite football team watching him, is going to lose anywhere on clay, you suspect it will be here, where the ball flies more than usual due to slightly thinner air.

He has a major test against the resurgent 2009 U.S Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro, who won the Estoril title on Sunday and blasted his fellow beanpole Marin Cilic 6-3, 6-0 here in Madrid.

Djokovic sounded somewhat croaky after taking out big-serving South African Kevin Anderson 6-3, 6-4 and still has strapping on his knee.

Potentially he could be Murray’s opponent in the semi-finals, although you cannot be sure that either will get that far.