Andy Murray admitted he was caught off-guard by a speedier and bouncier courtroom after being dumped out of the Miami Open on the first hurdle by Dusan Lajovic.
Murray reached the last-32 on the BNP Paribas Open final week however circumstances in Indian Wells differ barely to Miami, even when the previous world primary felt he had been practising effectively in latest days.
The 35-year-old Scot, who received this occasion in 2009 and 2013, felt restricted all through and delivered an off-colour displaying as he crashed to a 6-4 7-5 defeat to his Serbian opponent, ranked 76th on the earth.
“It’s a very different court here, very bouncy and much faster than last week,” Murray, at present 52nd on the earth, mentioned afterwards. “It was very different to the practice courts and everything.
“I served pretty well but the rest of the game was a bit of a problem. My timing was off a bit, the ball was obviously bouncing up a bit higher and I just mistimed quite a few balls.
“I struggled a bit with my movement, I’m not quite sure why that was. But I wasn’t expecting to play like that, even based on the last few days because I’ve been decent in practice.”
Murray, who revealed he struggled with fatigue throughout his third-round defeat to fellow Briton Jack Draper in Indian Wells, will now start constructing in direction of the upcoming clay season.
“I’m going to Spain,” he mentioned. “My household are going there on the thirtieth, so I’ll be a part of them. We’re going to do some coaching within the south of Spain for per week or so. I’m undecided what I’ll do earlier than then.
I wasn’t anticipating to play like that, even based mostly on the previous couple of days as a result of I’ve been respectable in observe
Andy Murray
“I was hoping to do much better here. So whether I stay and train here on the clay for a few days before heading to Spain, I’m not sure.”
While Murray’s Sunshine Swing is over, Carlos Alcaraz can be trying to do the double within the subsequent fortnight. The Spaniard, the defending champion in Miami, lifted the Indian Wells title final weekend.
Back on the prime of the world rankings, a lot is anticipated of the 19-year-old because the period of unprecedented dominance led by Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and, at occasions, Murray himself winds down.
Murray feels Alcaraz can reside as much as the hype however warned towards putting an excessive amount of expectation on {the teenager}’s shoulders.
“He has an excellent, all-around game that I think will translate well on to all surfaces,” Murray added.
“He’s so far in his young career doing better than most of the guys that have come (through in) the last eight to 10 years. I know a lot of people are expecting everyone to win 20-plus grand slams now, like that’s normal. I wouldn’t predict that for anyone.
“I would imagine he would be right at the top of the game for as long as he wants to play.”
On a day of exits for British gamers in Miami – following Emma Raducanu’s earlier defeat – Kyle Edmund additionally misplaced.
The former British primary, who missed a lot of the final two seasons due to a continual left knee downside has required three operations, suffered a 7-5 7-5 defeat to China’s Wu Yibing in a single hour and 35 minutes.
