Andy Murray beat Marcel Granollers in straight sets in his first match as Wimbledon champion at the Rogers Cup in Montreal.
Exactly a month after beating Novak Djokovic to win his second grand slam title, Murray fought back from 5-2 down in the second set to defeat Spaniard Granollers 6-4 7-6 (7/2).
The Scot, who was given a bye in the opening round, had warned he would be rusty, and it was not until the sixth point of the match that he won one.
But Murray soon found his rhythm on the surface where he is most at home and reeled off four games in a row.
The world number two was playing aggressively and powering winners with both his backhand and forehand.
Granollers was the last player to beat Murray, in Rome in May, although the Scot had just levelled that match at one-set all when he pulled out with a back problem.
Murray subsequently missed the French Open before going unbeaten on grass with titles at both Queen’s Club and Wimbledon.
Granollers fought his way back into the first set by retrieving one break in the sixth game after Murray had saved two break points.
It was tight from there on but a missed backhand from the Spaniard, the champion on clay in Kitzbuhel last week, handed Murray the set.
The windy conditions were beginning to cause problems for Murray, the champion in Canada in 2009 and 2010, and a miscued forehand gave Granollers a break for 3-1 in the second set.
Granollers could not close it out, though, Murray saving one set point and then breaking back with some fine baseline play.
Still it was not straightforward but he forced a tie-break and from 2-0 down won seven points in a row to clinch victory after an hour and 50 minutes.