Murray eases through

Scot straight back into winning mode

Last updated: 22nd October 2008

Murray eases through

Murray: Defending champion

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Andy Murray began the defence of his St Petersburg Open title with a 6-3 6-3 victory over Victor Troicki of Serbia.

The world number four won the Madrid Masters on Sunday and continued in similar form in Russia, breaking his opponent twice in the first set and once in the second.

The Scot could have been forgiven for feeling tired after arriving at the event on Tuesday but quickly found his rhythm and broke Troicki in the fifth game.

Murray mercilessly pounded away at the world number 53 and broke again in the eighth game before serving out for the set.

He made it five games in succession to lead 2-0 early in the second set and although Troicki eventually stopped the rot the result was never in doubt.

The Scot faces a difficult second round match against exciting young Latvian Ernests Gulbis, who beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-0 6-2 in the first round.

Davydenko pulls out

Last year's runner-up Fernando Verdasco was the first player to book his place in the last eight after the Spaniard cruised past Karlis Lejnieks of Latvia 6-1 6-3.

Meanwhile, second seed Nicolay Navydenko announced he would take no further part in the event owing to a wrist injury.

The 27-year-old, who has already booked his place in the season-ending Masters Cup, won his first round match 6-4 6-4 against Australian Chris Guccione.

"I felt pain in the wrist after the end of yesterday's match," he said on Wednesday. "But doctors told me that the injury wasn't serious and I would be able to play after a one-week break."

Elsewhere, there was bad news for Russia's Nikolay Davydenko after the second seed announced that he was pulling out of the event at Saint Petersburg due to a wrist injury.

He said: "I decided to withdraw from playing here further because of a wrist injury.

"I felt pain in the wrist after the end of yesterday's match. But doctors told me that the injury wasn't serious and I would be able to play after a one-week break."