Andy Murray begins Olympic title defence in style and heaps pressure on himself to win second gold medal
Defending Olympic champion Andy Murray began his quest to retain his title with a crushing straight sets victory over Serbia’s Viktor Troicki in the opening round of the men’s singles at the Rio Games.
Murray, Great Britain’s flag bearer at Friday’s opening ceremony, dispatched Troicki 6-3, 6-2 to progress to round two where he will face Argentina’s Juan Monaco.
“I am not defending a gold medal,” said three-time grand slam winner Murray. “I will always keep my gold medal, that is always going to be there, I don’t have to give it back.
“It’s more trying to win another medal that builds the pressure and wanting to do something here. That is the pressure I am putting on myself.”
Defending women’s champion Serena Williams also began her title defence in commanding fashion as she beat Australia’s Daria Gavrilova in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2.
Londoner Richard Kruse, meanwhile, missed out on Great Britain’s first fencing medal in 52 years after losing to Russia’s Timur Safin in their individual men’s foil bronze-medal match last night.