Andy Murray squandered three match factors in opposition to Australia’s Alex de Minaur earlier than crashing out within the first spherical of the China Open in Beijing on Thursday.
Murray reduce a pissed off determine all through the match and earned a warning from the umpire after repeatedly hurling his racquet to the bottom on his technique to a 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 defeat.
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The former world primary misplaced his opening service sport and handed the primary set to the 24-year-old Australian with a limp forehand into the web.
The two-time Wimbledon champion discovered his groove within the second, easing a passing shot previous a stranded De Minaur to achieve a decisive break of serve and drive a deciding set.
Murray broke once more early however couldn’t convert three match factors earlier than sending a forehand lengthy to lose the tie-break 8-6.
The 36-year-old Scot has suffered a number of accidents in recent times and had career-saving surgical procedure in 2019 that fitted him with a steel hip.
De Minaur’s win sees him enter uncommon firm as he turns into solely the fourth particular person to defeat Murray 5 occasions in a row. He joins Novak Djokovic (8), Roger Federer (5) and Rafael Nadal (5).
The trio defeated Murray 4 occasions in a row, however none of them have performed what de Minaur has managed, beating the Brit on 5 consecutive events.
De Minaur will play both world quantity three Daniil Medvedev or American Tommy Paul within the second spherical.
The Aussie has been on a scorching streak of late and whereas he hasn’t added to his seven single titles, he reached a career-high mark within the newest ATP rankings.
His current run allowed him to leap six spots to No. 12 within the standings.
That is one spot increased than Kyrgios has managed up to now in his profession, with thirteenth being the Canberrans highest rank so far, achieved means again in 2016.
The China Open is being held for the primary time since 2019 following the top of Beijing’s isolationist zero-Covid coverage.
The males’s match has attracted a bunch of huge names together with seven of the world’s eight top-ranked gamers.
A notable omission is world primary Novak Djokovic who this month mentioned with out elaborating that he wouldn’t be competing in China this 12 months.
The girls’s occasion will get underway this week after its world governing physique ended its boycott of China.
The WTA had halted its engagements within the nation after Chinese participant Peng Shuai made sexual assault allegations in opposition to a high authorities official.
Source: www.news.com.au
