Andy Murray has struggled on court in recent months but the Briton delivered a serving master class to beat David Goffin 6-3, 6-2 in the first round at Indian Wells on Wednesday.
The 36-year-old said late last month that he is likely to end his career after the summer, though he hopes to get the chance to win a third Olympic gold medal at the Paris Games.
While he may never recover the form that saw him win three Grand Slam titles, the former world No. 1, now ranked 61st, looked dangerous on center court as he beat the Belgian for an eighth consecutive time.