Murray beats Troicki, Tsonga to meet Verdasco

World number four Andy Murray enjoyed a confident start to his claycourt season when he thrashed Serbian Viktor Troicki 6-0, 6-3 on Tuesday to book a place in the Monte Carlo Masters third round. Select results

World number four Andy Murray enjoyed a confident start to his claycourt season when he thrashed Serbian Viktor Troicki 6-0, 6-3 on Tuesday to book a place in the Monte Carlo Masters third round.

The Scot, who reached the semi-finals here last year, broke serve in the first game and never looked back, wrapping up a straightforward victory after 67 minutes when Troicki sent a backhand wide.

Andy-Murray-from-Great-Britain-reacts-during-a-training-session-of-the-Monte-Carlo-Tennis-Masters-tournament-in-Monaco-AP-Photo-Lionel-Cironneau

Third-seed Murray, who received a first-round bye, looked in fine form as he unsettled Troicki with some exquisite drop shots and played his usual tight defensive game to deny his opponent any chance to come back.

Troicki took only five points on Murray's serve and never threatened the Scot who will take on Frenchman Julien Benneteau or Austrian 15th seed Juergen Melzer for a place in the quarter-finals.

Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, the 13th seed and 2010 finalist, battled past Croatia's Ivan Dodig 3-6 6-3 6-1 to set up a third-round clash with Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the fourth seed.

Tsonga pleased the crowd on his 27th birthday after he defeated Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-2, 6-4. "Verdasco is far from being a present!" Tsonga said.