Murray aces it! Sir Andy blasts past fellow Brit Ryan Peniston in straight sets to make the second round at Wimbledon – delighting his watching family and a VERY royal box with Princess Kate among his pack of cheerleaders
- Murray got his Wimbledon campaign off to a flyer inside a packed Centre Court
- Roger Federer and the Princess of Wales watched on as he cruised past Peniston
- After the win, Murray said he is ready for a strong run at this year’s tournament
- Latest Wimbledon 2023 news, including schedule, travel updates and results
Sir Andy Murray breezed into the second round of Wimbledon after beating fellow Brit Ryan Peniston in straight sets this evening.
The two-time Wimbledon winner, 36, won in straight sets as the Princess of Wales and Roger Federer watched on from the Royal box.
Centre Court’s crowd cheered as the adored Scotsman made his return to southwest London for this year’s Championships, which marks the 15th time he has taken part.
Kate Middleton, 41, was among those enthusiastically applauding as Federer, also 41, was honoured for his stellar sporting achievements on Centre Court following his retirement from the game last year.
Other guests included Prince Michael of Kent and his daughter Lady Gabriella and former Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha.
Sir Andy Murray breezed into the second round of Wimbledon after beating fellow Brit Ryan Peniston in straight sets this evening.
Kate Middleton , 41, was among those enthusiastically applauding as Federer, also 41, was honoured for his stellar sporting achievements on Centre Court following his retirement from the game last year
Kim Murray (pictured) celebrated as Sir Andy clinched victory today on Centre Court
Andy Murray booked his place in the second round at Wimbledon after a win on Centre Court
The British star cruised to a straight-set victory over compatriot Ryan Peniston on Tuesday
Kate Middleton, 41, put on a friendly display as she greeted close pal Roger Federer as he was honoured with a special ceremony at Wimbledon today.
Andy Murray celebrates victory in his first round match against Ryan Peniston
By starting a 15th campaign, Murray matched the open era record for a British man set by Jeremy Bates, and he would have taken confidence from knowing that in nearly 1,000 tour-level matches he had never lost to a player ranked as low as Peniston’s 268.
Peniston, 27, who survived cancer as a toddler, had a breakthrough year in 2022, particularly on the grass, and won his first-round match at Wimbledon.
He settled well on his Centre Court debut and was the better of the two for much of the first set but he was unable to take either of two early chances to break the Murray serve and paid for one loose game.
By the second set, the Scot, who went on to win the title after his only previous match against another British player here when he beat Liam Broady in 2016, was playing much better.
Peniston was still competing hard and pulling off some crowd-pleasing shots but Murray had cut out the unforced errors – 15 of his total of 24 came in the opening set – and was not giving his opponent anything.
By the time Peniston won another game, he had lost nine in a row and was 2-0 down in the third set.
Andy Murray showed no mercy to unheralded compatriot Ryan Peniston as he put on a command performance in front of Roger Federer and the Princess of Wales.
With a prestigious audience in the Royal Box, Murray took only a fraction over two hours to beat the British wildcard 6-3, 6-0, 6-1 Under the roof of Centre Court away from the elements.
Much more difficult tests will await, including the winner of the clash between fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and Dominic Thiem in the second round, but the crispness with which Murray struck the ball off the ground certainly appears to bode well.
And Murray was very pleased with his performance, saying: ‘Obviously it’s amazing to be back here playing on Centre Court. I was quite nervous, coming out I wanted to play well.
‘I started a little bit tentative but once I got the break I thought I played some good stuff as the match went on. There’s some good signs there.’
Asked if it was the best he has felt coming into Wimbledon since winning his second title in 2016, Murray said: ‘Probably. Its been a long time since I’ve felt physically this good coming into Wimbledon, which is really positive. The last years have been very challenging so I’m hoping I’m fit for a good run.’
Federer gave Murray’s performance a ‘very good’, and the Scot added: ‘It was amazing to have some royalty here but also some tennis royalty.
‘Amazing to have Roger here supporting the event. The last time I was on this court and he was watching was during the Olympics and he sat in Stan Wawrinka’s box against me. I hope you’re doing well Roger and Mirka.’
Murray clenched his fist after his victory in the first round of Wimbledon earlier this evening
The Scotsman pleased the crowds with a win on his return to Centre Court today
After winning, he graciously shook hands with fellow Brit Ryan Peniston. The pair delighted the crowd with their fine performances
Murray will now face either Dominic Thiem or Stefanos Tsitsipas in the next round
Sir Andy also shook the umpire’s hand after winning in the first round at Wimbledon today
He then turned his attention to the adoring crowds, who had been supporting him during the match
The beloved British tennis star clapped the audience as he took in the atmosphere
He waved goodbye to the crowd as he got off to a winning start in his 15th Wimbledon Championships
Peniston, from Southend, is ranked a humble 268, but is at his best on grass, as he has shown with three victories in the last two editions of the Cinch Championships at Queen’s Club.
With his nimble footwork and short backswing he gave Murray some awkward moments early on and created two break points as he stayed close in the first five games.
However, against a player of the 36 year-old Scot’s calibre you have to take them, and with Murray starting to dictate the play more he reeled off the next eleven games to dominate the contest.
The Princess reached out to shake hands with designer Samantha Cameron as she left Centre Court today
Samantha and David Cameron settled into their seats in the Royal Box to watch the first round match between Shelby Rogers of the US and Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina
The tennis legend, who was won Wimbledon eight times, waved to crowds as he arrived on Centre Court today
During the standing ovation, Roger greeted his wife Mirka with a kiss on the cheek, as she placed a hand on his
After the match had finished, the group stood to chat to one another as they left Centre Court
One is amused! Kate and Roger shared a laugh during the tournament today as they watched the players take to the court
How far? Kate and Roger were deep in conversation as they appeared to discuss the logistics of the match
Lady Gabriella and Prince Michael were animated as they watched the action unfold on Centre Court today
A big cheer went up when Peniston won a consolation game, and he contributed to some sparkling rallies, only to find a huge gulf between himself and the twice champion.
Murray was left awaiting the winner of Stefanos Tsitsipas against Dominic Thiem in the second round. Thiem was leading by a set before it became one of the dozens of matches that had to be postponed for rain.
‘It’s amazing to be back here on Centre Court, I started quite nervous, a it tentatively but once I got the break I played some good stuff,’ Murray said after the win.
‘It has been a long time since I have felt physically this good coming into Wimbledon. Hopefully I’m ready for a good run.
‘It was amazing to have some royalty here and some tennis royalty as well. Roger here supporting this event. Last time he watched me here was here was at the Olympics he was supporting Stan Wawrinka (against me).’
As the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club’s patron and a sports fan, the Princess of Wales is a regular of the Royal Box and has cultivated a strong bond with the eight-times Wimbledon winner.
She even broke royal protocol in 2017 and planted three kisses on his cheeks as she congratulated the sportsman for winning the tournament for the eighth time, while the Prince of Wales and Federer’s wife Mirka watched on.
The playful friendship extends beyond the court, with Kate and Roger working on several projects together and both starring in a video highlighting the work of ball boys and girls in late June, where the royal put the tennis star through his paces.
Lady Gabriella, who appeared delighted to be watching the tennis, was joined by her husband Thomas Kingston at the match
The royal, who is a distant cousin of the King, leaned across to chat with her husband Thomas during the match
In addition to catching up with Roger, the royal was also seen chatting with Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British-Iranian woman who spent six years in prison in Iran, after being arrested in 2016 at Tehran airport.
The mother-of-one, who had been visiting family in the country, was charged with trying to overthrow the regime – which she has always denied.
She finally returned to the UK in 2022 after a campaign by her husband Richard and a team of lawyers.
Nazanin previously spoke about how tennis helped her cope in prison, telling Andy Murray during an episode of the Today programme that his Wimbledon victory in 2016 helped her to bond with other inmates.
She said she was was so inspired by Andy’s victory that she taught other inmates his name which helped forge a ‘connection’ and made her feel ‘closer to home’.
The Princess – who has been patron of the All England Lawn Tennis Club since 2016 – looked elegant as she arrived at the All England Club wearing a smart pleated white skirt and mint £1,950 Balmain blazer.
At today’s event, she wore her hair in loose waves across her shoulders and opted for neutral makeup, with a sweep of eyeliner and a touch of blusher.
Meanwhile she kept her jewellery simple, opting for a simple pearl bracelet and £72 Chunky Knot Baroque Pearl Earrings by Shyla.
Kate’s choice of Balmain for her outfit marked the first time the royal has been seen in the French label.
Celebrity fans of the fashion house include Cara Delevingne and Kim Kardashian.
Meanwhile Balmain’s creative director previously said he would love to dress Kate’s sister-in-law Meghan Markle, and described her as ‘confident, sexy and respectful.’
The Princess opted to pair the trendy blazer, which features white button detailing and white lapels, with a white midi skirt and matching accessories.
As play began on Centre Court, Kate was seated in the royal box, where she was greeted by a standing ovation.
At 1pm, Federer was joined by his wife Mirka on court and fans were treated to a special video montage of his best moments through the years. The couple then stayed for the day’s play as special guests in the royal box.
The tennis player has become a friend of the Royals and the Middletons in the past few years, even attending the wedding of Kate’s sister Pippa to James Matthews in 2017.
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