MARSEILLE, France. — Andy Murray won his first match since
capturing the Qatar Open title last month when he beat Dutch qualifier Jesse
Huta Galung 6-4, 6-4 in the Marseille Open on Tuesday.
The British No. 1 went through to the second round with
victory over world No. 190 Huta Galung, who was once his flatmate while they
were at a tennis academy in Spain.
After starting the year well with the Doha victory, Murray
was knocked out in the first round of the Australian Open and then a knee
injury forced him to pull out of Britain’s Davis Cup tie with Argentina.
"The first set was very average but the second was much
better," said Murray.
"It comes and goes with my knee. There is pain with some
movements but I have to live with that. I would love to have a strong knee but
it’s not the case."
Fourth seed Murray, the world No. 11, will face
Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka, whom he beat in the Doha final, in the second
round.
The Swiss beat France’s Sebastien Grosjean 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.
In Rio de Janeiro, former world No. 1 Gustavo Kuerten opened
his farewell tour with a first-round defeat in front of his home fans on
Tuesday, the 31-year-old falling 7-5, 6-1 to Argentina’s Carlos Berlocq in the
Brazil Open.
One day after he and his partner Andre Baran were knocked
out of the doubles tournament, the three-time French Open winner struggled to
cope with the intense heat and was no match for the world No. 74.
Kuerten has battled hip problems since he was last ranked
world No. 1 eight years ago and has decided to retire after this season’s
French Open starting at the end of May.
"I have loved this sport and it has given me the most
intense moments of my life," Kuerten said in an emotional speech over the
public address system following his defeat.
"I would like to apologize... I would like to keep playing but I just
cannot."
