LONDON, November 14, 2016

Andy Murray’s much-anticipated debut as the World No. 1 took place on home soil when he defeated Marin Cilic 6-3, 6-2 to begin his Barclays ATP World Tour Finals campaign on Monday evening.

There was a lot of tension in the air during the first set but Murray showed that even when not playing at his best, he was still able to dig out big points at crucial times. He took the opener in 46 minutes.

The Dunblane native, who won 74 per cent of his first service points, gained the breaks in the fifth as well as seventh game of the second set to serve out after one hour and 30 minutes. Murray sealed his 20th straight win on the ATP World Tour.

“This year… I consider the best year I’ve had on court. The last few months have been the best in terms of my consistency,” Murray said during his pre-tournament press conference and is right on track to continue his success in London.

“It was obviously great atmosphere today, pretty much of full house,” Murray was pleased after the encounter. “It was probably one of my best matches over the years here.”

Nishikori Sweeps Past Wawrinka

Earlier the day, fifth seed Kei Nishikori beat world No. 3 Stan Wawrinka 6-2, 6-3. The 26-year-old from Japan didn’t face a break point, converting four of his own to secure victory in 67 minutes.

“I felt very comfortable out there,” said Nishikori. “I started very well, [right] from the first game. I saw that he wasn’t playing his best and he was making a lot of unforced errors. I saw a lot of opportunities today, so I tried to be aggressive. Even in the second set, I stayed really tough and played a good match today. It gives me a little confidence.”