(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Chinthana Wasala |
The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar: Former world number one Andy Murray ended his six-match losing streak yesterday with a hard-fought victory over qualifier Alexandre Muller, registering a 6-1, 7-6 (7/5) win at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open.
At the Khalifa International tennis and Squash Complex in Doha, the British three-time Grand Slam champion showed his consistency and aggression in return games and converted three of five break points against the World No. 75 Muller.
Murray seemed relieved after snapping the winless run.
Reflecting on the victory, Murray acknowledged the challenges he has faced in recent months, expressing gratitude towards his team for their support during the tough phase.
“Obviously the past few months have been really tough on the court for me,” Murray said after the win, his first of the season.
“I've not won many matches and lost a lot of close ones as well and it was getting tight at the end there as well, so obviously delighted to get through,” Murray said, highlighting his pride in overcoming the challenges.
Jakub Mensik hits a shot against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
“Just proud that I managed to get through the match and get another win under my belt, and I'm happy for my team who have been working extremely hard with me in trying to find solutions to get me through this difficult moment. Hopefully, this is the start of a better run,” Murray said after improving his record to 25-5 in Doha.
The 36-year-old Murray, now ranked 50th, is one of the most successful players in the history of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open champion, reaching the finals on five occasions (2007, 2008, 2009, 2017 and 2023) and winning the title twice (2008, 2009).
The two-time Olympic gold medallist (2012, 2016) in men's singles, Murray's next hurdle in Doha presents a fresh challenge against teen qualifier Jakub Mensik.
The 18-year-old Czech prodigy yesterday made headlines by defeating the fifth seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina with a score of 7-6 (7/3), 6-4.
“He's obviously a very promising young player with a huge serve,” Murray said of his next opponent.
“He moves well for a big guy, new on tour, I'll need to be ready for that,” Murray added.
Mensik, an emerging talent on the ATP tour, clinched a decisive break in the first game of the second before completing a 93-minute triumph, his maiden victory against a Top 30 opponent.
Christopher O'Connell also created an upset when the Australian overcame sixth seed Jan-Lennard Struff 6-4, 6-4. His second-round opponent will be Finland's Emil Ruusuvuori who beat qualifier Giulio Zeppieri 7-6(2), 7-5.
Former champions Gael Monfils and Richard Gasquet also advanced.
French wildcard Monfils defeated Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp 6-1, 7-6 (9) to set up a meeting against Chinese Zhizhen Zhang, while Gasquet beat Alexander Shevchenko of Russia 6-4, 6-4. He will take on top seed Andrey Rublev next.
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