Andy Murray will face Canada's Vasek Pospisil in the second round of the World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Murray was dominant Wednesday in his first match since losing the Australian Open final to world No. 1 Novak Djokovic. The top seed in Rotterdam, Murray won 6-3, 6-2 over French qualifier Nicolas Mahut.
He needed 94 minutes to progress with a fine showing of athleticism, defensive prowess and shot-making.
"I was pleased with my high level," Murray said. "It was a match with two players with different game types."
Sergiy Stakhovsky became the first man through to the quarterfinals, beating Dominic Thiem 6-1, 6-3 in 62 minutes
Dutch star Robin Haase departed with a 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-3 first-round loss to Andreas Seppi. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez overcame Denis Istomin 7-6 (7-5), 6-4.
Former Aussie Open winner Stan Wawrinka needed three sets to dispose of Jesse Huta Galung of the Netherlands. He next plays Garcia-Lopez.
Seppi will face defending champion Tomas Berdych.
France's Gael Monfils upset Roberto Bautista Agut 7-5, 7-6 (5).
On Tuesday, Canada's Milos Raonic needed three sets to knock out qualifier Andrey Kuznetsov.
"It’s about fighting through," Raonic said. "I kept my attitude together, which allowed me to get my game and find answers towards the end, and that's why I was able to win."
Raonic, No. 6 in world rankings, has become the prey of upset-minded opponents.
"I think there is a big target on my back," he told the ATP website. "I’m the No. 6 player in the world right now, and I feel like I can do much better. Every round is an opportunity for someone to pick up a positive win."
Next up for Raonic: Italy's Simone Bolelli.
Contributing: OmniSport