Andy Murray wary of Milos Raonic after progressing in Toronto

 

Andy Murray expects a tough test against home favourite Milos Raonic after cruising into the last 16 of the ATP Rogers Cup in Toronto last night.

Buoyed by his gold medal triumph at the Olympics, the world number four dominated from start to finish against Italy's Flavio Cipolla - ranked 93 places lower in the world rankings - and swiftly wrapped up a 6-1 6-3 win.

The 25-year-old will meet Canadian number one Milos Raonic tonight for a place in the quarter-finals, and acknowledges the 16th seed will provide tricky opposition.

"It will be tough. He'll obviously be very motivated playing in his own country," Murray said of the 21-year-old on http://www.atpworldtour.com.

"He's improved a lot over the last year, year and a half. He's playing really, really good tennis. Very big guy with a big game. Serves well and hits the ball very hard."

Murray, bidding to win his third Masters 1000 title in Toronto and his ninth overall, needed just one hour and 21 minutes to beat Cipolla with the first set lasting half an hour thanks to two breaks of serve.

The Roman beat Estonian Jurgen Zopp in the first round, but looked second best throughout against Murray, who was given a first-round bye.

Murray fired three aces and seven winners as Cipolla struggled to keep pace with the Scot, who found great success coming forward as well as from the back of the court.

The trainer was required with Murray having knee trouble and Cipolla briefly took advantage by forcing the British number one to charge around the court.

Murray was unable to maintain his first-set intensity and Cipolla fared better in the second before the Scot's break in the fifth game proved decisive.

"After playing for eight weeks on grass pretty much, it's very different here," the second seed said. "The ball is very quick compared with Wimbledon. It also bounces much higher.

"The court is much slower as well, so there are a lot of things to change. I only got a couple of hits on the court, so it was good to play a match and get a win fairly comfortably."

PA

Independent Comment
blog comments powered by Disqus
Caption competition
Caption competition
News in pictures
World news in pictures
Sport blogs

On The Road at the Giro d’Italia: It sounds sadistic, but the team live for the mountain stages

Three weeks ago as I drove off the Eurostar, I remember thinking what a very long time it was until ...

by Martin Ayres

iBet: Rose has the ammunition for Wentworth

McDowell did brilliantly to land the World Match Play title in Bulgaria last week, but it’s a format...

by Gareth Purnell

Brits on fire in the wet at Le Mans!

Wow - what a weekend for British Motorcycle racing!

by Luke Wilkins

       
James Pembroke: The man who's eaten everywhere

The man who's eaten everywhere

Few people know more about restaurants than James Pembroke, who only spent five mealtimes at home during his entire childhood.
A Berliner in 1963 – but did John F Kennedy once admire Adolf Hitler?

A Berliner in 1963 – but did John F Kennedy once admire Adolf Hitler?

The young JFK praised 'superior' Nordic races during visits to Germany
Seeing the larger picture: Inspiring images of space

Seeing the larger picture: Inspiring images of space

An exhibition explores images how photography has shaped astronomy
Eat Spam and carry on: Wartime pamphlets could teach us a thing or two about healthy, thrifty eating

Eat Spam and carry on

Wartime pamphlets could teach us a thing or two about healthy, thrifty eating
The 10 Best salt and pepper sets

The 10 Best salt and pepper sets

Whether they're for everyday use or to make your dining table look just right, it's worth getting a stylish shaker...
Giro d'Italia: The Stelvio Pass - cycling's killer climb

The Stelvio Pass - cycling's killer climb

As the Giro d'Italia tackles the brutal climb, Simon Usborne takes on the snow and switchbacks – and soon realises what the fuss is about
National archives: Edward VIII’s phone calls - and how MI5 bugged them

Edward VIII’s phone calls - and how MI5 bugged them

Newly unearthed papers reveal a shocking extra dimension to the constitutional crisis over monarch’s abdication
Sent down at the Old Bailey: A tour of the world's most famous court

Sent down at the Old Bailey

A tour of the world's most famous court
Hollywood's random acts of red-carpet kindness

Hollywood's random acts of red-carpet kindness

The Hangover actor Zach Galifianakis’s date for his movie premieres isn’t arm candy  – it’s his 87-year-old friend who he saved from homelessness
British football scores an own goal

British football scores an own goal

Many managers barely survive a year in post. Martin Baker talks to experts who make a case for clubs using forensic business skills to find the best staff
James Lawton: Sergio Garcia cracks as major fault line opens up again

James Lawton

Sergio Garcia cracks as major fault line opens up again
Dylan Hartley: Northampton have spent the season proving all our critics wrong

Dylan Hartley talks tough

Northampton have spent the season proving all our critics wrong
Watch out Watford: Here comes the secretive Bilderberg Group

Watch out Watford: Here comes the secretive Bilderberg Group

A meeting of global power brokers in a Hertfordshire hotel is exciting conspiracy theorists, but what are they really about?
'The ultimate all-in-one home entertainment system': Microsoft finally unveils its Xbox ONE console

'The ultimate all-in-one home entertainment system'

Microsoft finally unveils its Xbox ONE console
Plenty of Fish dating site founder pulls 'Intimate Encounters' option to ward off sleazy men

Plenty of sleaze

Dating website pulls intimate 'hook-up' section to curb harassment