-
Andy Murray returns the ball to Juan Carlos Ferrero during their quarter-final match at Wimbledon - Source: Reuters
Top seed Andy Murray celebrated his return from injury with a comfortable 6-3 6-1 win over wild card Daniel Gimeno-Traver in the first round of the Valencia Open on Wednesday.
The British world number four, who has been sidelined since the US Open in September with a wrist problem, converted five of his 10 break points against the Spaniard, who is ranked 77, and lost his own serve just once.
Among the players still in with a chance of a place at the season-ending World Tour Finals in London later this month, fifth seed Gilles Simon of France had an easy 6-3 6-2 win over Russia's Igor Kunitsyn.
Simon's compatriot Gael Monfils, the number six seed, defeated Spanish wild card Marcel Granollers 6-4 6-2 while seventh-seeded Spaniard Tommy Robredo was due to play Belgian qualifier Christophe Rochus later on Wednesday.
In other matches, Spain's former world number one Juan Carlos Ferrero squandered a one-set lead in losing 2-6 7-6 6-3 to Uruguay's Pablo Cuevas.
Spanish eighth seed David Ferrer beat compatriot Nicolas Almagro 7-5 6-7 6-2 while Juan Monaco got past fellow Argentine Martin Vassallo Arguello 6-3 6-2. Another Argentine, Leonardo Mayer, beat Russian Igor Andreev 6-3 6-3.
In Thursday's second-round action, Simon takes on Czech Tomas Berdych, Monfils plays Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga meets Russia's Mikhail Youzhny and Fernando Verdasco plays Spanish compatriot Oscar Hernandez.
Verdasco and Tsonga also have a chance to make it to the November 22-29 Tour Finals in London.
