Andy Murray took his first step out of the worst slump of his career as he outplayed France’s Alexandre Müller for much of their battle before holding his nerve at the close to reach the second round of the Qatar Open with a confidence-boosting 6-1, 7-6 (5) victory.
Having previously never lost more than four consecutive matches in his 21-year career, Murray entered the court in Doha on a six-match losing streak, his last win coming in October. “The last few months have been really tough on the court for me,” he said afterwards. “Not won many matches and lost a lot of close ones as well, and it was getting tight at the end there. Obviously delighted to get through.”
