The result of the match might have been totally different had Murray received the primary set, as he actually ought to have completed.
On the primary of two set factors when main 6-4 within the tie-break, Murray planted a volley into the web with the courtroom gaping, drawing shrieks from the shocked crowd and leaving the Scot masking his face together with his hand.
Murray went on to lose the set and was all of the sudden chasing the match.
Neither participant was in a position to break serve in a good second set earlier than Murray, with assured hitting and delicate touches, levelled after making a quick begin in one other tie-break.
Having not confronted a break level because the third recreation of the match, Murray misplaced serve for 1-0 – shortly after taking a tumble on his proper ankle – and an more and more assured Mensik moved a double break up at 5-2.
However Murray, simply as he did to cease Mensik serving out the primary set, used his huge expertise to struggle again.
Sensing nervousness down the opposite finish of the courtroom, Murray elevated the aggression of his groundstrokes to pile on the strain however he couldn’t preserve the momentum within the tie-break as Mensik regained his composure to seal a memorable win.
Murray’s frustrations have been clear as he made a pointy exit after a tense contest lasting three hours and 23 minutes – the longest match within the Qatar Open’s historical past.
