Britain's Andy Murray was unable to back up his first win of 2024 after losing to 18-year-old Jakub Mensik in a rollercoaster Qatar Open match.
The 36-year-old Murray ended a six-game losing streak by defeating Alexander Muller on Tuesday, but 24 hours later he defeated 116th-ranked Mensik, 7-6 (8-6), 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7). -4) lost. .
Trailing 5-2 in the decider, the Scotsman clawed back both breaks as his Czech opponent failed to serve out.
However, Mensik mentally reset and won, advancing to the ATP quarterfinals for the first time in his career.
Murray, who reached the final in Doha last year, has a significant number of ranking points to defend and losing in the second round means the former world number one will fall outside the world top 60 next week. .
2024 got off to a rocky start, with Murray losing the opening four games of the new season, raising questions about how long he plans to continue playing and prompting a defiant reaction from the three-time Grand Slam champion.
Murray, who turns 37 in May, insisted he would “keep fighting”, aiming to play at the level he believes he is still “capable of”.
His first win of the year against Frenchman Muller, ranked 75th in the world, was a huge relief and a step in the right direction.
However, losing to Mensik, a talented player with a strong game and a very bright future, who is yet to break into the top 100 in the world, is yet another setback.
Murray's frustration was evident as he suddenly withdrew after a tense match that lasted three hours and 23 minutes, the longest match in Qatar Open history.
“Right now I'm speechless, I don't know what to say,” said Mensik, who will face Russian top seed Andrei Rublev or French veteran Richard Gasquet on Thursday.
“It was a tough game, but [Murray] He's a great player and I saw him win Wimbledon twice on TV and I can't believe he can still compete with the best players in the world at his age. ”
More to come.
