Murray Aims To Improve; Tsonga, Soderling Advance

© Getty ImagesFrenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga celebrates another win.

World No. 4 Andy Murray managed to take just three games off of Rafael Nadal in a wind-afflicted BNP Paribas Open final last year, but enjoyed better results in his return to Stadium Court on Sunday in Indian Wells.

Great Britain’s top player opened his campaign at the year’s first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Italian Andreas Seppi. Though he dropped serve twice, Murray broke Seppi four times from seven opportunities and put 20 winners past the Italian, including one on match point.

Watch Sunday Highlights  |  Watch Murray Interview

Watch Live Streaming From Indian Wells

“It was a pretty scrappy match today,” he said. “Even though it was relatively comfortable, still some tight moments.”

Murray, who began the season by reaching the Australian Open final, is making his fifth appearance in Indian Wells. In addition to his runner-up finish last year, he advanced to the semi-finals in 2007 (l. to Djokovic).

“Obviously started the year well in Australia, and you remember the feelings you had there,” said Murray, who stepped back out on the practice courts following the match. “You're not necessarily hitting the ball as well as you have been in practice. You don't know if it's tension. You're just a little bit surprised, maybe.

“But, saying that, when you haven't played for a long time, you have to expect not to play your best the first match out. I'm sure next round out I'll feel fine.”

Ninth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was first up on Stadium Court, and with Daylight Savings Time kicking into effect, needed to be ready one hour earlier than normal. Though he said afterwards that he preferred “sleep than play at this time,” the Frenchman posted a straightforward 6-1, 6-3 dismissal of Australian qualifier Marinko Matosevic, who was making his ATP World Tour Masters 1000 debut this week.

Another Frenchman No. 12 seed Gael Monfils, made a strong start to his opening match but ultimately fell victim to German Simon Greul, 1-6, 6-2, 6-3. The 58th-ranked Greul had accounted for Monfils’ countryman, Richard Gasquet, in the first round.

Roland Garros finalist Robin Soderling earned his first victory over Kazakhstan’s Evgeny Korolev in their third career meeting, winning five of his 16 break points en route to a 6-2, 6-4 win. The No. 6 seed will look to advance beyond the third-round in Indian Wells for the first time in six event appearances when he faces 28th-seeded Spaniard Feliciano Lopez, a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 winner over Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu.

In other early matches Sunday, Spaniard Nicolas Almagro ousted ace king and No. 23 seed Ivo Karlovic 7-5, 7-6(5); No. 18 seed Tommy Robredo defeated Ukraine’s Sergiy Stakhovsky 3-6, 6-3, 7-5; and Thiemo de Bakker advanced when 30th-seeded Serbian retired with an abdominal strain just five games into the match.