Saturday 9 August 2014 22:39, UK
Andy Murray surrendered a 3-0 lead in the final set on his way to a 7-6 4-6 6-4 defeat by Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the Rodgers Cup quarter-finals in Toronto.
The Scot lost a tight opening set on the tie-break and appeared set to bow out at the quarter-final stage when he offered up two break points at 4-4 in the second.
He hung tough to save his serve, though, and then broke the Frenchman - conqueror of Novak Djokovic on Thursday - before running away into a 3-0 lead in
the decider.
But he inexplicably crumbled, losing five games in a row before slumping to a dispiriting loss.
He was visibly frustrated as his chances disappeared in front of him, with Tsonga deserving immense credit for his fightback.
The see-saw nature of the second and third sets was entirely out of keeping with the opener which Tsonga won on a tie-break after 12 consecutive holds of serve. He got ahead in the breaker when Murray hit a forehand long.
The pair traded breaks early in the second set and Murray then looked set for straight-sets exit when he offered up two more break points. He found a way to save them, however, and then broke himself before winning the set to love.
He carried that confidence into the decider and was soon 3-0 ahead as Tsonga got erratic, before the tables turned dramatically.
Murray, playing his first event since Wimbledon a month ago, said: "It's just disappointing because it's important to play matches.
"If you've had a break for a while, ideally you want to try and play as many matches as you can.
"Tennis and sport really can change a lot from one day to the next. Jo is a top player. He's a fantastic athlete. When his game is on, he's very tough to beat."
