There were signs that Andy Murray was still troubled by the sore hip that had bothered him in the build-up to Wimbledon - but they weren't enough to stop him from motoring into the second round.
Andy Murray Photo: Photosport
At times Murray limped around the baseline but luckily for the defending champion, that problem disappeared the moment the ball was in play as he easily outclassed maverick Wimbledon debutant Alexander Bublik 6-1 6-4 6-2 to reach the second round.
"My hip felt good. It's a little bit sore, but I was moving really good on the court today," said Murray, who is the first British man to be seeded number one at Wimbledon since Bunny Austin in 1939.
"If you're in a little bit of pain, but you can still run as you normally do, that doesn't affect how you play."
Asked about his limp between points, he added: "Whether it's something that's just happened... like, subconsciously, my hip's been sore, I have no idea. I'm not in a lot of pain when I'm walking, that's for sure."
There was so much uncertainty about the top seed's form in the days running up to the grasscourt major, one British bookmaker had declared Murray 'friendless' - with punters backing him to lose early rather than win the title for the third time.
Rafa Nadal moved seamlessly from months of claycourt success to a satisfyingly smooth first-round victory on grass as he opened his Wimbledon campaign with a commanding 6-1 6-3 6-2 victory over Australian John Millman.
Nick Kyrgios and Fernando Verdasco were the men's seeded players to fall today.
-Reuters
