Wimbledon 2014 Update: Andy Murray off to Great Start; Roger Federer Believes He Is a Strong Contender
Defending champion Andy Murray opened his Wimbledon campaign on a positive note, scoring a straight-set win over David Goffin 6-1, 6-4, 7-5 on Monday in London.
Murray, who is looking to become the first player to retain the title since 1936, was on target against his 105th-ranked opponent, breaking Goffin four times, while also saving the only two break points against him.
Murray had a strong start, winning the opening set in just 29 minutes. He sustained the momentum in the second set and was pushed to the limits in the third set before sealing the victory with an ace.
"In the second and third sets, I thought the standard was very high," Murray said. "He came up with some unbelievable passing shots. I was glad to finish it in three."
The third-seeded Murray played the opening match on the Centre Court -- a way to honor the defending men's champion -- and also received a huge ovation from the crowd. Murray defeated Novak Djokovic in last year's finals to become the first homegrown Wimbledon men's champion in 77 years.
"It was nice," Murray said of the huge ovation from the home crowd. "I was nervous this morning, nervous yesterday. Walking through brings back a lot of good memories. I got a nice round of applause, and once you sit down in a chair, it's time to get ready for this year and move on from last year."
Meanwhile, Roger Federer has not won a grand slam since winning the Wimbledon in 2012, but the 32-year-old tennis star feels that he can end his drought in his favorite event.
In an interview with ESPN, Federer, a seven-time Wimbledon champion, said he believes that he is feeling good about his chances and that he is fit enough to make a strong run in this year's tournament.
"I feel like, yeah, if things click here, I should be able to win the tournament," Federer said. "I feel I have a very good chance again this year. I hope to utilize my fitness, the amount of matches I've played this year," he added. "So I'm really coming in with a much better feeling."
Federer was seeded fourth in the tournament behind Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Murray.
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