Wimbledon 2015: Andy Murray demolishes Robin Haase in straight-sets to reach the third round

British No 1 cruises past lacklustre Dutchman to secure 6-1, 6-1, 6-4 victory and book his place in the third round

Andy Murray in second round action (GETTY IMAGES)

If the goal of all the top players at a Grand Slam tournament is to get through the first week expending the minimum amount of energy, then Andy Murray is doing just fine. The 28-year-old Scot secured his place in the third round here with his second successive straight-sets victory, beating the Dutchman Robin Haase 6-1, 6-1, 6-4.

If his first-round win over Mikhail Kukushkin left some room for improvement, it would be difficult to find many ways in which Murray could have improved against Haase. From the start the world No 3 looked in excellent shape. Whether he was hitting passing shot winners, crafty lobs or beautifully executed drop shots, Murray always looked in control.

Murray is almost a permanent fixture on Centre Court these days, but this was a rare outing on Court One. It was also a much earlier start than he has come to expect. The BBC usually like to broadcast Murray’s matches to a tea-time audience, but on this occasion you could have watched the Scot win and still had time for lunch.

Slight drizzle had delayed the start of play on the outside courts, but by the time of the 1pm start on the main show courts the skies had cleared. Both players were probably grateful that the temperature had dropped several degrees below the scorching highs of the previous day.

Murray was quickly into his stride, converting his second break point in the third game when Haase put a forehand long. Two games later Murray broke again in hugely impressive style. At 0-40 down, Haase had begun walking to the chair before Murray’s superb lob had even hit the ground. After just 20 minutes another break of serve gave Murray the opening set, in which he had dropped only one point on his serve.

There was no respite for Haase in the second set. The Dutchman cut a disconsolate figure when a mishit forehand enabled Murray to break to love in the second game and after another break in the sixth game the Scot served out for the set.

Haase, the world No 78, can be a dangerous opponent on his day, but it was only in the third set that the 28-year-old Dutchman gave an idea of what he can do. He began to strike the ball more freely and also started to bring more variety into his game, though Murray never looked unduly troubled.

Nevertheless it was not until the seventh game of the deciding set that Murray made his final decisive breakthrough. At 30-30 Haase double-faulted and on the next point the Dutchman put a forehand wide.

When Murray served for the match he played some champagne tennis, going 40-0 up with two forehand pass winners and then a matching backhand. On his second match point the Scot drilled a thumping backhand into the corner which Haase was unable to return. The win had taken only 87 minutes, conserving Murray’s energies for the challenges ahead. In the next round he faces the winner of Borna Coric’s meeting with Andreas Seppi.