Indian Wells: Andy Murray enjoys serene win over David Goffin

Andy Murray's unbeaten streak against David Goffin of Belgium remains intact after their eighth encounter and he hasn't lost a single set. In a smooth match, Murray advances to the second round of Indian Wells.

Following his disappointing season opener, Murray's recent win of 6-3, 6-2 can serve as a source of comfort that he still has what it takes to compete in the ATP Tour. Despite the fact that David Goffin, a past top-ten player, is currently ranked No. 112 globally and has struggled recently, this win is still significant for Murray.

Murray probably won't go very far in the competition unless he manages to turn back the clock and defeat Andrey Rublev, the fifth seed player, in the upcoming round. It would be quite a surprise if he were to win, as he has only beat one top-five player since injuring his hip in 2017, and that was against Stefanos Tsitsipas on grass, which is his preferred surface.

Murray surely had a satisfying all-around performance against Goffin, keeping a clean sheet by not allowing any break point. However, the match also highlighted that both players are no longer at the peak of their careers.

Although Goffin is a skillful and amiable player, his shots lack power, especially on the sluggish and coarse hard courts of Indian Wells. As a result, his shots were easy prey for Murray. Nevertheless, this match proved beneficial for Murray as it allowed him to fine-tune his timing and pacing.

Compared to his previous matches against Ugo Humbert, Jakub Mensik, and Tomas Machac, Murray's recent encounter was quite different. In those matches, Murray was always under pressure from his opponents' intense power. These days in the ATP Tour, the focus is on overpowering your opponent with powerful attacks, but Murray and Goffin's peak performance was during a more elegant and sophisticated age of tennis.

After the match, Murray expressed pleasure in facing his opponent over the years, citing that they share comparable playing styles. However, he acknowledged that he holds a slight advantage due to his bigger physique, allowing him to execute serves at faster rates and score more points effortlessly. Additionally, Murray noted that he has consistently performed well against this particular player.

Murray shared his reason for choosing a supporter in the audience to gift with a towel after the game. According to him, the fan was cheering persistently throughout the match, but not just with the usual "Come on" encouragement. The fan's remarks were more specific, such as commenting on Murray's excellent serving skills and his movements despite his issues. This kind of cheering was helpful for Murray to boost his morale when he felt discouraged. He even likened the fan to being his second coach.

Boulter Unable To Replicate Heroic Performance In San Diego

Out of the three players representing Britain on the opening day of Indian Wells, Murray emerged victorious as the sole winner.

Katie Boulter faced harsh hits from the unpredictable Italian Camila Giorgi, resulting in a difficult match for Boulter. Boulter's arrival to Indian Wells was delayed because of her excellent win in San Diego's final on Sunday.

Therefore, she had only one opportunity to get accustomed to the uncommon surroundings of the area (the ball moves at a high speed in the arid Californian desert due to the absence of moisture in the atmosphere) before she stepped onto the court to play her game.

Giorgi is completely opposite to Goffin because she doesn't let you establish any steady tempo by taking risks with trying to hit winners on nearly every shot.

Most of these risky bets turned out to be successful, resulting in Boulter being quickly eliminated in a mere 78 minutes. The final score was 6-3, 6-2.

Jack Draper didn't do very well in his match against Christopher O'Connell, who is ranked 66th in the world. Draper lost the match by a score of 1-6, 6-3, 6-2. His performance was not up to his usual standards.

Last week, Draper was hit by a virus while in Acapulco. Although the virus appeared to have gone away, his timing was off during the game and he ended up losing the deciding set due to his serve being totally off.