Murray's Love Match Proves A Winner

Andy Murray has declared that marriage works'' after blasting his way to a second clay court title.

The Scot has enjoyed a strong run of form since he married his long-term girlfriend Kim Sears in front of family and friends at Dunblane Cathedral last month.

And yesterday he beat Rafael Nadal in straight sets to become the Mutua Madrid Open champion, claiming the 6-3 6-2 victory in less than 90 minutes in front of the clay king's Spanish fans.

After the game, the former Wimbledon champion wrote Marriage Works!'' on the lens of a television camera.

It (marriage) has been nice and a lot of people have spoken about the honeymoon period,'' Murray said on Sky Sports 3.

But we've been together a very long time and getting married was the next step.

I've always said if the personal stuff is happy and under control that helps your performance on the court.

But I also feel healthy this year and I have trained well, I'm in much better shape on the clay than I have been for a number of years.''

Murray won his first career clay court title at the Munich Open last Monday.

He followed it up with yesterday's victory, which earned him the 10th 1000 Masters title of his career but his first such title on the red surface he has traditionally struggled on.

Andy and Kim, both 27, exchanged their vows in Murray's home town of Dunblane on Saturday April 11 in what was dubbed Scotland's royal wedding''.

The British tennis number one sported a blue and green kilt for the occasion while Sussex-born Sears wore an embroidered white gown with three-quarter-length sleeves and a long veil.

Among the guests were Murray's brother Jamie, parents Judy and William, grandparents Shirley and Roy Erskine and former British tennis number one Tim Henman and his wife Lucy.

The wedding also attracted hundreds of visitors to Scottish town, eager to catch a glimpse of the couple and wish them well.

The couple smiled and laughed and waved to the crowds as they left the wedding venue for their reception at Murray's Cromlix hotel on the outskirts of Dunblane.