INDIAN WELLS: Andy Murray overcame a poor start and a third-set service break to defeat Taro Daniel 1-6, 6-2, 6-4 in the first round at Indian Wells on Friday, earning his 700th career victory.

With the win, the Englishman became the 18th player in the Open era to accomplish the feat on the ATP Tour.

"This was a target that I set for myself on the back end of last year," Murray said in an on-court interview.

"It's a lot of wins obviously, and I'm very happy to get it here.

"Let's go for 800 now."

Big milestone for @andy_murray ????

Congratulations on 700 wins! ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/3i2c1Ft4oU

— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 11, 2022

Murray appeared to be forced to wait after Daniel came out strong, attacking Murray's serve and cruising through the opening set on a beautiful day in the Southern California desert.

Murray, who is three years out of severe hip surgery, struggled to move well in the first set but exploded in the second, breaking Daniel at love when the Japanese player blasted a forehand wide on set point to tie the match at one set apiece.

Daniel won eight consecutive points to start the third and grab a 2-0 lead, thanks to some careless play by the three-time Grand Slam champion.

Murray, on the other hand, refused to give up, breaking back with a forehand winner for 3-3 and pumped his fist to the delight of the cheering crowd at Stadium One Court.

Daniel's nerves looked to get the best of him in the final game, when he made three consecutive unforced errors, giving Murray three match points, which he scored on his third attempt to claim the victory.

"I got off to a bit of a slow start," Murray said.

"I'm old now so with these 11 a.m. starts, it takes me a bit of time to get going.

"But Taro played extremely well. I lost to him in Australia so I was expecting a tough match," Murray said of Daniel, who beat the Briton in straight sets in Melbourne in January.

A wild card in a tournament Murray will play Alexander Bublik in the second round of the Masters 1000 competition on Saturday, looking for his 701st victory.

Edited - SportsAction / Inputs - Agency