Andy Murray of Britain returns the ball to Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia during their tennis match at the Queen's Club Championships in west London June 9, 2011. [Photo/Agencies]

   

Solving puzzles

The Scot appears to like setting himself puzzles to solve though and the way he recovered both times with some dazzling shot-making and thumping serves left him feeling upbeat.

Even better news was his suspect right ankle, injured at the French Open, showed signs of improvement.

"It's the best it's felt," world number four Murray, who won the Queen's title in 2009, told reporters.

"If I had gotten off to better starts I could have won more easily but I was always trying to get myself back into it. I did a good job of that."

American Roddick, who has won four titles at Queen's but never gone on to reach the Holy Grail at Wimbledon, required just one break of serve in each set to get the better of the 2.03m Anderson, one of the most improved players on the Tour.

After an impressive victory against dangerous Feliciano Lopez in the previous round, the third seed said he was happy with his form at his favourite time of the year.

"Everything felt fine," Roddick, three-times a Wimbledon runner-up to Roger Federer, told reporters.

"He had some chances to break. He didn't get them. I had a couple chances and I converted. That was pretty much the story of the match," added Roddick, who fired down two 225kph bullets towards the end of the match, proof that his famed serving shoulder is in fine fettle.

Two French players were forced to withdraw injured. Gilles Simon retired with a back strain at 3-0 down in the third set against compatriot Mannarino in a second round match held up overnight and Michael Llodra quit with a thigh injury in the first set against Tsonga.