Andy Murray Picks Up Third Round Win at Australian Tennis Open

Already in a 4-0, love-40 hole to start the match against Andy Murray, Sam Groth dumped a backhand into the net, walked off the court and called his performance "pitiful."

The analysis was dead on. Groth was broken three times in the opening set and never recovered.

Murray, the second-ranked Scot, won the first nine games of the match and rolled to a 6-0, 6-4, 6-1 win to reach the third round at the Australian Open.

Murray has faced little resistance through two rounds. He showed some frustration after losing an early break in the second set but quickly regrouped, breaking Groth back in the 10th and final game of that frame to take a commanding lead.

On match point, Murray slugged an ace out wide, his 10th.

Groth, the fastest server on tour, had just six aces and was broken seven times.

Murray played a crisp match all around. He had 35 winners and committed only 10 unforced errors. He improved his record against Australian players to 17-0, though it should be noted he lost to Nick Kyrgios a couple of weeks ago in the Hopman Cup, an exhibition.

"[Groth] didn't start the match off serving that well, which helped," Murray said. "Because I was returning well, that maybe put some more pressure on him. He didn't really start serving well or how well he can serve until maybe, you know, middle of the second set. Then, you know, made it tougher there. But, yeah, I returned good and passed and lobbed well. That's what I needed to do today to get the win."

French Open champion Stan Wawrinka, who won the Australian title in 2014, reached the third round for the eighth consecutive year with a 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 win over 37-year-old qualifier Radek Stepanek.

American John Isner also was a straight-sets winner Thursday. Behind 20 aces, Isner beat Marcel Granollers 6-3, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (2).