Just three weeks ago, Andy Murray was leading his Davis Cup compatriots from Britain to the next round in Glasgow at the expense of the Americans. Along that journey, he had to overcome 25-year-old Donald Young and the same dominance that he displayed on that occasion was evident once again yesterday in Miami. Britain's top player eased his way through to the third round with a solid straight-sets victory 6-4 6-2.
The Miami Open is an event that the 27-year-old seems to enjoy playing in, having taken the title twice before, both in 2009 and 2013.
He was also the runner-up in 2012, when the familiar conqueror on that occasion was no less than Novak Djokovic, the current world number one. Despite the typically tough playing conditions on court, arising from the heat and humidity factors that are abundantly evident during the annual tournament, the Scot is a frequent visitor to Miami and relishes the environment. He has a second home there as well and when he has time to fit in the training blocks he requires to maintain his top ten position in the world, it is there that he frequently does it. Crandon Park is therefore well known to Murray, so it must have felt like he was the 'local' rather than his opponent in many senses during their contest.
Having had a first round bye in the second round, the Brit should have been slightly fresher than his American rival, although Young hardly had a tough battle to reach the last 64 himself. With his first-round opposition Lu Yen-Hsun being forced to retire with the first set still not having run its natural course, he did not gain much of a warm-up for the sterner challenge from the Scottish player.
The windy conditions could have been expected to even the battle up marginally, but they did not seem to affect Murray early on as he stormed into a 4-0 lead in set one. Although the world number 44 did manage to break back during the set, Murray was still able to close it out quite comfortably. Set two became an even easier workout for the Britain, as he confirmed his place in the next round. His opponent there will be world number 31, Santiago Giraldo who Murray will not be taking lightly, after tasting defeat at the Colombian's hands in Madrid last year.
