Andy Murray pays tribute to late Elena Baltacha following 2nd-round win at Madrid Masters

London: Wimbledon champion Andy Murray has paid tribute to former British number one and his childhood friend Elena Baltacha, who died aged 30 recently, by signing 'Bally' on a courtside camera following his second-round win at the Madrid Masters on Wednesday.

Baltacha was diagnosed with liver in January, just two months after she retired from professional tennis late in 2013, which came after an 11-year battle with primary sclerosing cholangitis, a chronic liver condition that affects the immune system.

According to the BBC, playing in his first match since Baltacha's death, the British number one survived a second-set fightback from Nicolas Almagro to beat the Spaniard 6-1 1-6 6-4 and reach the third round of the tournament.

Murray, who won the Madrid Masters in 2008, was playing his first competitive match since his Davis Cup defeat by Italy's Fabio Fognini in early April, the report added.