Andy Murray wins on Challenger Tour return at Rafa Nadal Open
Murray loses one game in just his third singles match since undergoing hip resurfacing surgery in January
Tuesday 27 August 2019 16:03, UK
Andy Murray registered his first singles victory since his return from hip surgery by thrashing an unranked French teenager at the Rafa Nadal Open in Mallorca.
The former world No 1 opted to skip the US Open to prioritise his singles comeback and outclassed 17-year-old alternate Imran Sibille, who does not have an ATP ranking and stands at equal 2,792nd on the International Tennis Federation's system.
Murray lost only three points in the first set before Sibille finally held serve in the 12th game of the match as the three-time Grand Slam champion won 6-0 6-1 on his first appearance on the Challenger Tour for 14 years.
The 32-year-old needed just 44 minutes to reach the second round of the second-tier tournament, where he will face third seed and world No 115 Norbert Gombos.
Murray, now ranked world No 328, won 450 euros as a result of his victory against Sibille, who has earned $150 in career earnings.
After undergoing hip resurfacing surgery in January following his first-round exit at the Australian Open, Murray began easing his way back to competitive action by playing doubles, starting with a title at Queen's in June.
Murray suffered first-round defeats in singles at the Cincinnati Masters and at Winston-Salem earlier this month.
