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Andy Murray crushed Ivan Ljubicic 6-3 6-2, pouncing on the veteran's mistakes to earn a first career victory at the Rotterdam Open on Tuesday.

Murray's only miscue in the first-round meeting came as he held a 5-0 lead in the second set, double-faulting on a match point to let the 29-year-old Ljubcic back in at 1-5.

But two games later, the Scot second seed restored order with the win which took his record on the season to 9-1, including a January title in Doha.

"I had lost two of three matches against him, so I was expecting a tough match," said the world number four. "But he had so many errors that it made things easier on me."

Murray will in Thursday's second round face Italian Andreas Seppi, who knocked out Rafael Nadal here a year ago.

"If I serve like I serve did today (seven aces, four breaks of serve) there are not a lot of guys who can beat me.

"I lost to Seppi the only time I played him (Nottingham, 2006) and he beat Nadal here. I'm expecting a difficult match."

Elsewhere, Gael Monfils, seeded fifth, won his first-round match as Swiss Stephane Bohli quit injured, 6-4 1-0. Spain's sixth seed David Ferrer shook off a long trip from South Africa for a win over Jurgen Melzer 3-6 7-6 (4) 7-5.

Monfils, who hurt his wrist and quit a match in Melbourne, said that he felt rusty after only three days of practice.

"I have barely picked up a racket," said the Frenchman. "I didn't feel 100 per cent, I could feel the lack of training.

"But everyone is in the same situation after not practising much after the Australian Open. Jo-Wilfried (Tsonga, seeded seventh) is the exception after winning Johannesburg and coming here with a trophy.

"It could have been worse for me, I felt better the longer the match went on."

Bulgaria's junior juggernaut Grigor Dimitrov lined up a possible meeting with top seed Nadal after the 17-year-old knocked Czech Tomas Berdych out 4-6 6-3 6-4.

It's now down to Nadal to do his part when he opens on Wednesday against Italy's Simone Bolelli.

The 487th-ranked wild card entry Dimitrov, who holds the Wimbledon and US Open junior crowns, will be guided in his quest by new coach Peter Lundgren.

Dimitrov is sure that it is the Spaniard whom he will be facing in the next round.

"It feels good to be playing him," said the son of a tennis coach father and volleyball player mother. "I've practised a lot with him.

"He's never given me any tips, but just working with him and watching his game is tips enough - his practice sessions are crazy."

Nadal will be back on court little more than a week after lifting his sixth Grand Slam title with a win over Roger Federer, his fifth in succession against the Swiss.

AFP