Andy Murray has sealed his place in the third round of the Shanghai Masters with a straight-sets victory over Steve Johnson.
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The world number two dropped serve in the first game of the match but was rarely troubled by the American in his first outing since GB’s Davis Cup semi-final victory over Australia on 20 September.
In the second set Johnson had two break points at 3-3 but Murray averted the danger and wrapped up the match in one hour and 16 minutes. Johnson, despite attacking at every opportunity on his own serve and attempting to undermine Murray’s defence with repeated deep sliced backhands, would win just one more game, as Murray broke again to take the first set, 6-2.
“Please, please, I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt because it was a good shot”, Lahyani said, urging Kyrgios to stop swearing. “I thought I moved well from the beginning, struck the ball cleanly”. The tall, huge-serving American No 13 seed was just as quick in beating the risky No16-ranked David Goffin.
He will look to reach the Shanghai quarter-finals when he takes on John Isner on Thursday.
The Scot encountered greater resistance in the second set and two double faults in a row helped gift Johnson two break points at 3-3. However speaking of the potential suspension, he said: “To be honest, I’m not thinking about it too much”. I took like five full days off when I did nothing.
“Psychically I feel good”, confirmed the 28-year-old.
Djokovic stressed the need for a big-picture approach to the development of the talented 20-year-old Canberran and dual grand slam quarter-finalist who has received code violation warnings in three consecutive matches in the past week despite the threat of a 28-day suspended ban hovering overhead. From my side, I was happy with the way that I played and also the way my body felt. If it happens, it happens”, shrugged the world No.32, adding: “I probably shouldn’t have done it. But I didn’t think it was too bad.
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Murray made a decision to skip the following three weeks of ATP Tour events seeking rest, as he heads towards a busy November schedule that includes the final Masters 1000 event in Paris, the season-ending World Tour Finals in London and the Davis Cup final in Belgium. But he can get carried away a little bit because he’s not able to sustain his concentration all the way till the end.
