Murray wins on clay for first time in five years at Madrid Open

Andy Murray secured a straight-sets win over Dominic Thiem in the first round of the men's tournament at the Madrid Open - his 6-3 6-4 triumph his first on clay for five years.

Playing as a wild card after changing his mind on participating in the clay-court season, the former world number one broke Thiem once in each set and made only 13 unforced errors in the match.

"All matches right now are important for me," Murray said after the win. "Playing matches on the clay, you need a little bit more patience on the court, you need to think a little bit more than on the other surfaces.

"It's been really positive for me."

Murray's last win on clay came in the quarter-finals of the French Open in 2017 when defeating Kei Nishikori. He suffered a hip injury in his semi-final defeat to Stan Wawrinka - the start of a long-running issue that nearly ended his career in 2018.

After the match Murray had words of encouragement for Thiem, who was playing in only his fourth match of 2022 as he makes his own comeback from a wrist injury that prevented the 2020 US Open winner from defending his crown last year.

The Austrian, who spent eight months on the sidelines and is still winless this year, was far from his best, making 33 unforced errors in the contest, the majority coming from his forehand.

"I hope you feel better soon," Murray told Thiem at the net. "I'm glad to see you back. Keep going, it takes a lot of time but you'll be fine."

Video: Boris Becker (Evening Standard)

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