Andy Murray (Photo : Getty Images)
Andy Murray hopes to continue his winning ways in the Asian Swing when he plays American Steve Johnson at the Shanghai Rolex Masters.
Murray will have the chance close in on Novak Djokovic in the world rankings when the Scot starts his campaign at the Shanghai Rolex Masters 2016. The second-seeded Murray, who is coming off an impressive stint at the China Open, opens the tournament against Johnson, who advanced into Round of 32 after defeating Slovak Martin Klizan 6-4 6-3.
Murray leads Johnson by 2-0 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head career matchups. Their most recent outing was in the quarterfinals of the Rio Olympic Games, where the world No. 2 needed three sets to defeat Johnson, who ranks No. 24 in the world.
Murray's remarkable performances in the past tournaments should see him as a heavy-favorite to advance into the next round, where the 29-year-old could face either France's Lucas Pouille or Spain's Nicolas Almagro. Pouille dismissed Fernando Verdasco 6-3 6-3, while Almagro managed a three-setter 3-6 6-2 6-2 to get past Russian qualifier Mikhail Youzhny.
Meanwhile, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, last year's runner-up at the Shanghai Masters, made a winning comeback, defeating Germany's Florian Mayer 6-2 6-4. Tsonga made a successful return from knee injury that forced him to retire against Djokovic in the quarter finals of the US Open.
Tsonga's next opponent will be Serb Janko Tipsarevic, who defeated Philip Kohlschreiber in the opening round 6-4 6-2. The two have yet to meet in a singles match, which could be an intriguing battle for the Frenchman.
The winner between Tsonga and Tipsarevic could face either Alexander Zverev or eighth seed Marin Cilic, who received a first round bye in the tournament. Zverev, who recently scored a title-clinching win against Stan Wawrinka at the St. Petersburg in Russia, advanced into the second round after beating American John Isner in straight sets 6-2 6-4.
Live streaming info and score updates
Watch Andy Murray vs Steve Johnson live via TennisTV. Live scores will be available during match time at the ATP's official website.
Video courtesy: YouTube/ATP
