Defending champion Andy Murray has reached the final at each of the last four majors that he had played, finally finding a consistency equal to the other members of the Big Four.  He opened the first title defense of his career at a major against Michael Llodra.  This quirky French doubles specialist, who relies on vintage serve-volley tactics, had not threatened Murray in any of their three previous meetings.  An avid oenophile, Llodra complimented the Scot before their match by comparing him to a fine wine.

At this stage of his career, Murray clearly prioritizes the majors over non-majors of all levels.  Thus, tepid results at Masters 1000 tournaments in Montreal and Cincinnati did not overly trouble observers.  After he conquered the legendary British jinx at Wimbledon, Murray deserved a respite to collect himself. And he had not distinguished himself in North America last summer either, accomplishing little between his gold medal on grass and his US Open title.

An extended rain delay had disrupted the schedule earlier in the day, causing the two competitors to take the court nearly three hours later than planned.  Attired in a striking red-and-black outfit, Murray looked disinclined at the outset of the match to wage a war of attrition.  Instead, he forced the issue relatively early in the rally in an apparent effort to avoid a late night.  So did Llodra, more characteristically, and the underdog’s slow start led to an early deficit reminiscent of Ricardas Berankis against Novak Djokovic the night before.

Keeping the ball deep generally frustrates net-rushers like Llodra, so Murray prioritized depth over angles on his groundstrokes.  Still, the Frenchman found ways to approach the net more often than most opponents would have.  Once there, he tended to find himself frozen as an expertly placed passing shot zipped past him.  Murray can play cat-and-mouse at the net with anyone, too, which he proved by tracking down drop shots and sharply angled volleys with ease.

That forward-looking mentality seemed Llodra’s best option all the same, considering his lesser consistency.  He stuck to it through the first set, even while the passing-shot winners and sparkling retrievals accumulated across the net.  A double fault set up an insurance break, after which Murray quickly sealed a 6-2 first set.

Juan Martin Del Potro had preceded this match with a four-set thriller, and this match temporarily threatened to lurch in the same direction.  The second set took a surprising turn when Llodra earned a quick break of serve in the second set.  Serve-volleyers can rush through points and games before a baseliner can catch his breath, and  Murray seemed to trudge back to his chair at 0-3 before he could react to this plot twist. 

No seeded player had lost a set in Primetime at the Open yet, and Murray would not become the first.  After the changeover, he regrouped and reeled off five straight games without facing a game point or break point.  That short spurt proved to be the only highlight of the evening for Llodra, who began to reveal the decay in his skills.  Makeable volleys that he might have put away nearer the prime of his career presented unexpected challenges, and his first step toward the net looked a split-second slower than usual.

The younger, quicker, more versatile Murray won the vast majority of points that extended beyond two or three strokes.  Once he served out the second set, the momentum rested squarely in his corner again.  An efficient break of serve in the third set positioned him within range of a routine victory, just the way that he would hope to start his US Open campaign.   As he had in each of the first two sets, Murray broke Llodra a second time.  On this occasion, the service break closed out the match.

It seems unlikely that Victor Hanescu or Lorenzo Mayer can test Murray in the second round, or in fact that he will face any meaningful threat until the second week.  Perhaps the modest quality of his competition will allow him to settle into the fortnight and overcome the nerves of defending this title.