Murray goes through the motions

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With the Pole ranked a lowly 678 in the world it would have been inconceivable for Murray to lose, but the British number one made hard work of the first set before stretching away to win 6-4 6-2 6-4.

With Davis Cup rookie Dan Evans given the second singles spot, the onus was firmly on Murray to stamp his authority on proceedings.

But, after breaking Przysiezny to love in the third game of the match, he looked tentative throughout the first set and had to save three break points serving for the set at 5-4 before eventually wrapping it up.

Murray, playing his first match since his shock loss to Marin Cilic in the fourth round of the US Open, had been a doubt with a wrist injury, and that may have been affecting him as he struggled to find anything like his best form.

Przysiezny was far from overawed at playing such a high-ranked opponent and, after the disappointment of failing to break at the end of the first set, saved more break points to hold on to his serve at the start of the second.

But, in a repeat of the first set, Murray again broke in the third game courtesy of a simple smash and signs of the player who had reached number two in the world prior to the Cilic defeat surfaced in the fifth game as an inch-perfect lob gave Murray a second break.

Przysiezny, who had won eight of his 11 previous Davis Cup singles matches, halted a five-game losing run to stay in the set but Murray held serve to 30 to move to within one set of victory.

Once again the Scot chose the third game to forge ahead, breaking Przysiezny for the fourth time in the match to take a 2-1 lead in the third set.

The Pole hung in gamely, a forehand crosscourt winner limiting Murray to one break as he closed to 3-4 and Przysiezny had a point for parity in the next game but he could not engineer a first break and Murray served out to love for a routine, if largely uninspiring, victory.