Andy Murray knocked out in first round in Rotterdam
Wednesday, 20 Feb 2008 14:50
Andy Murray suffers first-round defeat at World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam.
Andy Murray has followed his Open 13 win with a first-round defeat in the World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam.
The Scottish player was beaten 7-5 6-3 by Robin Haase at the Ahoy Indoor Arena, only three days after he sealed his second tournament title win of the year in Marseille.
His form on French soil had propelled Murray back into the world top ten but there was no evidence of such consistency against Haase, with the Dutchman sending him crashing out of the competition in just under an hour and a half.
The 20-year-old wasted two early break points as Haase, ranked some 84 places below Murray, held his nerve to start the match with a victorious game, before both players held serve to leave the Dutch player leading 6-5.
Despite Murray saving three break points, Haase, also 20, took the first set with a winning forehand.
Both players maintained their rhythm with the second set going to serve until the eighth game, in which the Dutch number one took advantage of Murray's faltering second serve to take a 5-3 lead.
He then held serve to set up a second-round clash with Germany's Michael Berrer.
Haase surprised another big name, Ivan Ljubicic, in the first round of the Australian Open, though he was then clinically dispatched by Sebastian Grosjean in the second round.