Nalbandian rather handed Murray the first set, which was still closer than a 6-1 scoreline might suggest. But in the second he sat back, failing to take the initiative, and was repeatedly caught on his heels by Nalbandian?s deadly drop shots.
Murray and Nalbandian are two of the most versatile, imaginative players on the tour, and some of the points seemed to cover every inch of the court surface.
The final act offered deft slices and ferocious drives, even one improbable lob-volley that Nalbandian improvised after the ball had leapt up off the net-cord.
Finally Murray closed the door on a 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 win. He looked exhausted after spending two hours and 37 minutes on the court, against one of the few opponents who can make him cover more ground than they do. But at least he has a day to rest before meeting either Frenchman Richard Gasquet or local boy Paolo Lorenzi in tomorrow?s third-round match.
This was an important result for Murray, because his withdrawal from Madrid with a back injury already meant that he had not played since losing to Milos Raonic on April 27.
Had he lost again on Tuesday, he would have opened his campaign at the French Open, which starts on May 27, with only a single defeat to show for the entire previous month.
As Becker put it on Tuesday, ?Andy has had so far a wonderful career, good success and consistency, but the fact that he is hiring Ivan Lendl as coach shows that he is not satisfied with what he?s got.?
On Tuesday's evidence, Murray has the talent, but he is still searching for the ruthlessness that made Lendl such a feared opponent.
Meanwhile, the LTA?s management of British tennis was described as ?pitiful? on Tuesday in a Westminster speech by Baroness Billingham, a Labour peer. ?The LTA is a total shambles,? she told the House of Lords, ?tottering from one broken pledge to another, the British press and the world?s press aghast at the huge cost and pathetic results of six years? mismanagement. It is pitiful.?
In 2010, Baroness Billingham led the All-Party Tennis Group?s inquiry into the LTA, which lost some of its sting when the Labour government was promptly ousted. Now she is calling for the new Conservative minister of sport, Hugh Robertson MP, to carry out another review.
?He must insist on transparency of all expenditure and salaries, especially given the fact that the LTA receives public money,? she said. ?This money must be ring-fenced in order to ensure grass-roots tennis projects are properly funded.?
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