Andy Murray defeated Denis Shapovalov on Monday, overcoming a set deficit to go to the second round of the Dubai Championships.
The former world number one triumphed 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 to end a six-match losing streak in Doha last week. Afterward, he lost to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik.
“I still enjoy playing the game and competing. After earning his 500th victory on hard courts and surpassing the feat of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andre Agassi, and Rafael Nadal, Murray remarked, “Obviously it gets harder and harder the older you get.”
“Well, 500 victories on hard courts isn’t awful at all. Over the years, I’ve found that hard courts make excellent surfaces. I’m quite pleased with that.
Murray found it difficult to handle former top-10 player Shapovalov’s strong first-set performance. Shapovalov is trying to find his best form after missing the conclusion of the previous season due to injury.
However, the three-time Grand Slam victor prevailed in a tie-break in the second set before winning the final match with ease in a double-break.
In the round of sixteen, Murray will play French fifth seed Ugo Humbert or fellow seasoned player Gael Monfils.
After being defeated by Daniil Medvedev in his final match in Qatar more than a year ago, Murray, 36, has not advanced to the quarterfinals of an ATP tournament.
Murray fell to 67th place in the ATP rankings earlier on Monday, a 17-place decline.