Perhaps it was the gathering gloom above but Andy Murray was in no mood to hang around at Wimbledon.
It started raining almost as soon as the world number two left Centre Court, after brushing aside the challenge of British rival Liam Broady at the All England Club.
This was a textbook display of tournament tennis, straight sets and straightforward, no dramas and no sweat.
A few more matches like this and Murray will arrive at the business end of this fortnight fresh and firing for the significant challenges that will lie in wait there.
Murray hasn’t lost in the first round of a Grand Slam tournament since the Australian Open in Melbourne eight years ago, a remarkable record of consistency that few can rival.
Taking on a home player in the first all men’s British clash at Wimbledon in 15 years changed the dynamic of the crowd but never looked like changing the expected result.
Murray raced into an early lead and never looked back. He never dropped his serve, saving just two break points against him, in a clinical and aggressive display, which showed no mercy to his Davis Cup team-mate, ranked 235th in the world.
He wrapped up the first two sets in less than an hour and finally closed out the 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 victory in just one hour and 43 minutes.
“In these tournaments, it’s important when you have a chance to win a match quickly that you need to take it, so I can’t complain,” said Murray.
“You have to be ruthless when it comes to finishing matches and I’m very happy to get it done in three sets, especially before the weather closed in.
“Liam played better as the match went on and fought through to the end. The crowd is always very fair here, getting behind both players and knowing what a good shot is.
“Liam got a good ovation when he left court and I’m sure he will have enjoyed that.”
Murray will now face Yen Hsyn-Lu, the player who famously beat him in the first round of the Beijing Olympics, a defeat the British number one continues to rank among the most sobering of his career.
However, the Scot has won their three subsequent meetings – including a straight sets victory in the Wimbledon second round three years ago, when he went on to take the title, a good omen to seize upon.
“It will be a very tough match, he’s played a lot of grass court tennis this year and he’s won two tournaments and lost in the final of another in the last few weeks,” he added.
“He plays really well on this surface and he’s clearly in form. It will certainly be a good test for me early in the event and I’ll need to perform well.”
Meanwhile, there was disappointment for British number two Aljaz Bedene, who went down 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 to France’s Richard Gasquet, a two-time semi-finalist who arrives at Wimbledon on the back of his best French Open performance.
“Honestly I missed too many shots or just went to his better shot like the backhand instead of his forehand,” said Bedene.
“On previous days I felt better in training but when I woke up I felt like something’s wrong.”
