Andy Murray acknowledged he produced a nervous performance against Radu Albot on Saturday but suggested it was due to the pressure of a kind Indian Wells Masters draw.
Murray had been due to play Pablo Carreno Busta in the second round in California, only for the 15th seed to pull out with injury.
The three-time major champion instead defeated Albot in 6-4 6-3 for his first straight-sets victory of the season.
That sets Murray up to play fellow Briton Jack Draper in round three ahead of a potential round-four meeting with top seed Carlos Alcaraz, the best player in the draw after Novak Djokovic was unable to enter.
Murray was in complete control against Albot but played with nerves, explaining: "I didn't know if it was because of [the change of opponent].
"I was trying to give reasons for why I may have felt that way. I felt nervous on the court.
"A lot of the way that Radu plays and Carreno Busta plays is not too dissimilar, in terms of the way they like to play points and maybe where and how they like to serve.
"Obviously there are differences in their games, but it wasn't a huge change in terms of my game plan or what I was expecting going into the match.
"But maybe I felt like it was a good opportunity for me and that the draw had opened up slightly. I obviously wanted to try to finish the match quickly."
Yet those nerves are not a problem for Murray, who says he would rather play under that pressure.
"I generally much prefer feeling nervous when I play matches and feeling pressure," he said. "It just felt a bit out of sync with the situation. I was in, I guess, pretty decent control of the match.
"I was serving well, I was hitting the ball pretty well, but there was just more tension than probably there should have been out there on the court.
"But usually I prefer to feel nerves, providing they are in check. And maybe they weren't, for whatever reason.
"I would way rather feel more tension than feel flat, which is really never a good sign for me. If I wake up and I don't feel any of the butterflies or anything like that, it's generally a bad sign."
Murray knocked out of Geneva Open as Hanfmann books Djokovic clash
Andy Murray was denied a meeting with Novak Djokovic at the Geneva Open as Yannick Hanfmann completed a 7-5 6-2 win over the Scot on Tuesday.
Murray's first-round clash with Hanfmann was suspended due to rain on Monday, with the three-time grand slam champion 7-5 4-1 down.
He had earlier fumed at umpire Greg Allensworth as pollen rained down on the court in Switzerland, questioning why play had not been stopped.
The rain may have frustrated Hanfmann's victory pursuit on Monday, but it only provided a temporary reprieve for Murray as the players returned to complete the match the next day.
Hanfmann held his nerve through his final two service games to book a meeting with Djokovic for Wednesday.
In Tuesday's other early match, four-time grand slam quarter-finalist David Goffin was beaten in straight sets by Nicolas Moreno De Alboran.
The likes of Denis Shapovalov and Tallon Griekspoor are also in action in Switzerland on Tuesday, with Taylor Fritz and Casper Ruud joining Djokovic in entering for the second round on Wednesday.
Murray fumes at umpire amid severe weather at Geneva Open
Andy Murray fumed at the umpire as inclement weather forced his Geneva Open tie with Yannick Hanfmann to be suspended.
Murray's meeting with Hanfmann was postponed with the Scot a set and a double break down, with his German opponent in control at 7-5 4-1.
Former world number one Murray was furious with umpire Greg Allensworth as the weather closed in.
"I know you guys don't play but it'd be good to have a bit of a feel for what's happening," said Murray during a break in play.
"You're fine for us to play when there's s*** flying around?
"It's like it's snowing out here and you still want us to keep going."
Allensworth eventually sent the players into the dressing rooms.
Murray is aiming to use the Geneva Open to prepare for what is set to be his first French Open appearance since 2020.
A tie with Novak Djokovic is on the cards if Murray can turn things around on Tuesday, though it looks incredibly unlikely.
Zverev sees off Jarry to claim second Italian Open crown
Alexander Zverev claimed his second Italian Open title following a 6-4 7-5 victory over Nicolas Jarry in the final.
The German, who also triumphed in Rome seven years ago, captured his first silverware of the season - and sixth of his career in an ATP Masters event.
Having dropped just a single set on the way to his 11th Masters final, Zverev continued his impressive form by winning 95 per cent of his first-serve points (37 out of 39) and committing just eight unforced errors.
Jarry had enjoyed an impressive fortnight in Rome, defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas and Tommy Paul on the way to becoming the first Masters finalist from Chile since Fernando Gonzalez (also at the Italian Open) in 2007.
However, just two break points were enough to deny the 21st seed a fourth career ATP title, with Zverev eventually converting his fourth championship point to ensure a return to the winner's circle.
Data debrief
Zverev joins Rafael Nadal (10) and Novak Djokovic (six) as one of only three players since 2000 to win the Italian Open on multiple occasions.
Landing his second crown in Rome seven years after his first, it marks the longest gap in seasons between two men's singles titles at the event in the Open Era.
Meanwhile, Zverev became the most successful German male in ATP Masters events since the format's introduction in 1990, with his sixth such success seeing him eclipse Boris Becker's total of five.
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