By Chris Oddo | Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Andy Murray began his Aegon Championships title defense with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu on Wednesday in London, marking the 19th straight time that Murray has won on grass since losing the 2012 Wimbledon final to Roger Federer.

Monday Musings: Will Murray and Mauresmo Click in Time for Wimbledon?

Murray’s victory also marks the successful beginning of his partnership with Amelie Mauresmo. The former Wimbledon and Australian Open champion was sitting courtside during Murray’s victory.

Murray recovered from 0-40 down to break Mathieu in the opening game of the match. He saved the only break point he faced in the opening set, and served the set out for a one set to love lead.

The former world No. 12 would hang tough through six games in the second set, but Murray would break to lead 4-3 when he scorched a backhand that drew the error out of the Frenchman.

Big serving would enable Murray to wiggle out of a double-break point situation in the next game, and Murray would hold to 15 in the final game of the match, closing the deal on a backhand down-the-line winner as the sun-baked crowd roared its approval.

Queried about Mauresmo’s input in the first grass-court match of the season, Murray said: "We spoke a bit about the match and the tactics and then chatted a little bit afterwards, but this week there's not going to be any big changes in my game.”

Murray will continue his quest for a fourth title at Queen’s Club when he meets Radek Stepanek on Thursday in the round of 16. Stepanek got past Aussie Bernard Tomic, 7-6(4), 7-6(5).

In other action, top-seeded Stan Wawrinka passed through to the last 16 when Marcos Baghdatis was forced to retire after five games with a shoulder injury, while Ernests Gulbis was upset by hard-serving Frenchman Kenny De Schepper, 7-6(3) 7-5.

Other winners on Wednesday in London were Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who defeated David Goffin in straight sets, Feliciano Lopez, who took down Lleyton Hewitt, Alexandr Dolgopolov, who took down Denis Istomin in consecutive tiebreakers, and Sergiy Stakhovsky, who upset 11th-seeded Vasek Pospisil, 6-4, 6-4.