Shanghai: A roaring Andy Murray recovered from dropping the first set to beat Argentine qualifier Juan Ignacio Londero in his Shanghai Masters tennis tournament opener here Monday.
The 32-year-old Briton, returning from career-saving hip surgery in January, won 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 and will now meet Italian 10th seed Fabio Fognini in the second round.
The three-time Grand Slam winner Andy Murray is slowly making his way back to fitness and is now ranked 289th, having been 503rd last week. This victory is set to lift him into the top 250.
Andy Murray, the former World No.1 won his first ATP Tour singles match since surgery two weeks ago in China’s Zhuhai and followed that up by reaching the quarter-finals last week in Beijing when he lost to eventual winner Dominic Thiem.
The 56th-ranked Londero surged into a first-set lead but Murray fought back to force a deciding set.
Murray, a three-time champion at the Shanghai Masters, broke the Argentine in the fourth game of the third set, but was then broken himself and screamed in frustration.
But Murray was yelling again minutes later, letting out a prolonged roar after he buried a crosscourt forehand to break once more and go 4-2 up.
Londero, 2-5 down after surrendering a glimpse of a break, furiously slapped himself in the face several times at the changeover. But it could not prevent Murray from marching into the second round.
AFP