Andy Murray‘s return to competitive tennis culminated in a defeat in the quarter-finals of the China Open, where he faced Dominic Thiem.

Murray put up a strong fight and managed to take the top seed to a second-set tie break in Beijing, but ultimately fell short in a 2-6 6-7 (3) loss.

Despite the loss, the former world number one can take positives from his performance as he continues his journey back to the top level of the sport following a career-saving surgery earlier this year.

Having already secured victories against US Open semi-finalist Matteo Berrettini and fellow Brit Cameron Norrie, Murray reached the quarter-finals for the first time in 12 months.

The 32-year-old, who underwent hip resurfacing surgery in January, faced a tough challenge from Thiem, who broke Murray in the opening game of the match.

As the match progressed, it became clear that Thiem’s youth and power were proving difficult for Murray to handle. Despite putting up a tough fight and taking the set to a tie-break, Murray couldn’t maintain his momentum and Thiem emerged victorious after a nearly two-hour long battle.

In the end, Murray’s efforts were commendable, and his determination to return to his former level of play was evident throughout the match. However, he will now have to regroup and continue his journey back to the top of the tennis world.

Quotes:
– “I can take a lot from the last few weeks,” said Murray.
– “You never know what’s round the corner, but I won’t be taking anything for granted after the last few years,” added Murray.
– “I wasn’t going to go through another major operation – that would have been it for me,” Murray explained.