Murray defeated by Dimitrov
Early exit in Brisbane
Injury comeback setback
A disappointing defeat in the first round to the second seed, Grigor Dimitrov, at the Brisbane International, adversely affected Andy Murray’s preparations for the Australian Open.
After taking the opening set of a tense match between two former tournament champions on Pat Rafter Arena, the unseeded Scot was on track to advance. However, Dimitrov responded by advancing 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, causing Murray to be eliminated early once more following his second-round triumph at the US Open last year.
In round two, the world No. 14 will face either Daniel Altmaier of Germany or Australian qualifier Li Tu.
Murray was competing in his first competitive singles match since a shoulder injury prevented him from representing Great Britain in the Davis Cup finals in late October, where he was eliminated in the first round of the Paris Masters by Alex de Minaur. The 36-year-old initially demonstrated promise in a close match that remained on serve until he won the opening set by capitalising on his opponent’s error-filled tenth game.
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Dimitrov won a decisive set by overcoming a more chaotic second set in which both opponents struggled to maintain serve. This was his composed response to force a decider. While playing with a fractured string, the Bulgarian saved a crucial break point with a magnificent baseline smash, aiding his efforts to level the score.
Murray, a three-time grand slam champion, displayed evident irritation at the shift in momentum and provided minimal resistance during a relatively unchallenging final set, which Dimitrov completed in under two and a half hours.
