Murray coasts to first round win in Hamburg

The Scot broke Tursunov in the third game and, despite missing a break point at 5-3, served out the first set.

Early on, Murray, who wants to improve his form before the French Open, made Tursunov pay for a litany of unforced errors.

The 20-year-old then powered through the second set to ensure a second-round clash with Frenchman Gilles Simon.

Dauntingly, the winner of that match could face three-times French Open champion Rafael Nadal in the third round.

Murray suffered his infamous wrist injury at this tournament 12 months, meaning that he could not play at Roland Garros or Wimbledon last year.

That period on the sidelines means that Murray has no points to defend this year until August.

If the youngster performs well in Hamburg, he could break into the world top 10. He is currently ranked 14.

He made a confident start on Monday, outclassing Tursunov, who has described the clay surface as like playing on Mars.

Murray is certainly no veteran on the surface either, although he comfortably outmanoeuvred his opponent, making good use of his drop shot and lob.

"He's a tough guy to play against because he's so unpredictable and can hit some really big shots," said Murray.

"But I think I served well and didn't get broken."

He added: "I haven't played that many matches on clay so to expect me to play well every single week is a bit much.

"I'm getting better on clay and I'm feeling a bit more confident now."