TennisAndy Murray’s 2024 off to losing start as Grigor Dimitrov prevails in Brisbane
- Dimitrov wins 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 in Brisbane International first round
- Murray was playing first singles match since late October
Andy Murray’s preparations for the Australian Open suffered a setback following a frustrating first-round loss to the second seed, Grigor Dimitrov, at the Brisbane International.
The unseeded Scot was on course to advance after taking the opening set of a tense battle between two former tournament champions on Pat Rafter Arena. But Dimitrov hit back to progress 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 and inflict another early exit on Murray after his second-round victory when the pair met at last year’s US Open.
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The world No 14 will face either the Australian qualifier Li Tu or Germany’s Daniel Altmaier in round two.
Murray was playing his first competitive singles match since a first-round loss to Alex de Minaur at the Paris Masters in late October after a shoulder injury ruled him out of representing Great Britain in the Davis Cup finals. The 36-year-old initially impressed during a tight encounter which remained on serve until he capitalised on an error-strewn 10th game from his opponent to clinch the opening set.
Dimitrov calmly responded to force a decider by edging a more chaotic second set which ended with both players struggling to hold serve. The Bulgarian’s efforts to level were aided by saving a crucial break point with a stunning baseline smash while playing with a broken string.
The three-time grand slam champion Murray was visibly annoyed by the momentum shift and offered little resistance in a relatively one-sided final set as Dimitrov won in just under two and a half hours.
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