Alex de Minaur, the No. 18 ranked player in the world, beat former world No. 1 Andy Murray in straight sets on Monday in the Round of 32 of the cinch Championships.
The Australian won 6-4, 6-2 in one hour and 16 minutes at Queen’s Club in London, ending Murray’s hopes of a record sixth title at the grass-court event.
Murray, who is currently ranked No. 44 after undergoing two hip surgeries in recent years, was playing his first singles match since March. He showed some flashes of his old form, but also made 30 unforced errors and struggled to cope with de Minaur’s speed and consistency.
“It was great to be back out there playing again,” Murray said after the match. “I love playing on this court. It’s been very good to me over the years. I would have liked to have performed better, played better, but it was a tough match.”
De Minaur, who is seeded fourth at the tournament, praised Murray for his comeback and said he was honored to share the court with him.
“He’s someone I looked up to as a kid,” de Minaur said. “He’s an absolute legend of the sport. To be able to play him today was something really special for me.”
De Minaur will face British wild card Jack Draper in the second round on Wednesday. Draper upset third seed Jannik Sinner in three sets on Monday.
The cinch Championships is a warm-up event for Wimbledon, which starts on June 28. Murray, who won Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016, has been given a wild card entry for the Grand Slam tournament.
