Last update on. From the section Tennis
Andy Murray was three years old when he won his first ATP title. His opponent Carlos Alcaraz was only three.
After a straight-set loss to Carlos Alcaraz, a Spanish teenager, Andy Murray fell at the Vienna Open for the first time in Murray's career.
Murray, the 2014 and 2016 champions, was defeated 6-3, 6-4 in an entertaining match.
Murray lost a high-quality set in the first set, but Alcaraz, 18, took control of the match with his clinical ball-striking.
Murray, aged 34, was unable to finish the second game. Alcaraz, however, fought back and won the last four games, securing victory.
Murray beat Hubert Hurkacz, the world number 10, in the first round to earn his first victory of the year.
Murray's victory on Monday and the physicality of the first set seemed to sap Murray's energy against Alcaraz, who is 42nd in the rankings.
Murray collapsed on his knees after Alcaraz won a spectacular cross-court forehand win that ended another long rally.
Alcaraz won his first chance after a tired backhand into the net.
The three-time Grand Slam champion, who is now out of action after undergoing career-saving surgery in January 2019, will still enjoy many positives from his time in Vienna.
After a rapid trajectory over the past two seasons, Alcaraz is now the youngest player to rank in the top 300. His talent has seen him tipped to be one the most prominent players on the ATP Tour for the future.
He showed why he was against Murray.
Alcaraz was defeated by the former world number one when they met earlier in this month at Indian Wells. His younger opponent struggled to break through the Scots defense.
Alcaraz demonstrated his excellent shot-making skills quickly in Vienna by being more patient in the early exchanges. He even broke Murray's serve during a long opening game.
This set the tone for a difficult opening set in which both players created many break points over a series long games.
Murray won his sixth break point to tie the game at 2-2. Alcaraz, who had defeated British number two Dan Evans in round one, instantly broke again. Alcaraz held on for a 4-2 lead.
It was obvious that the teenager could overcome setbacks and mentally reset. He stepped up the ante in the final stages of the first set, and did the same in the second set, which had a deficit of 4-2.
His improvement was evident here, as he ended with 27 winners and 16 mistakes after making 42 unforced errors in Indian Wells against Murray.
Alcaraz will now play Matteo Berrettini, the world number seven in Italy, in the quarter-finals
Murray will be leaving, but British number one Cameron Norrie will try to make it to the last eight against Canadian sixth seed Felix Auger Aliassime on Thursday.
