Murray gets dumped out in Surbiton

ANDY Murray’s hopes of winning a first tournament on British soil since 2016 ended in defeat in the Surbiton Trophy semi-final.

Murray (pictured) had not won at home since triumphing at the ATP Finals six years ago and the wait will go on after losing 5-7 7-6 (5) 6-3 to American Denis Kudla.

Still, it was a good week of practice on the grass for Murray, who will now head to Germany to play in the Stuttgart Open next week before returning to London to play at Queen’s ahead of another SW19 campaign.

The Scot, who skipped the French Open in order to get in shape for the short grass season, made a good start against the big-serving American and took the first set.

He had led 4-1 but was pegged back only to break at the crucial moment to take it 7-5.

The second set remained on serve and was decided by a tie-break which went the way of Kudla, who is ranked 81 in the world.

The warning signs were there for Murray when he had to save five break points in the second game of the deciding set, but he could not hold off Kudla for long and the American broke at 3-2 and went on to see the match out without any sign of a Murray response.

Australia’s world number 82 Jordan Thompson won the Surbiton Trophy with a straight-sets victory over American Kudla yesterday.

The eighth seed triumphed 7-5 6-3 in the final of the grasscourt event in one hour and 34 minutes.

Kudla broke Thompson early but the Australian soon hit back to level at 3-3.

He then took the first set by breaking in the 12th game and claimed the decisive matchwinning break in the sixth game of the second.

Belgium’s Alison Van Uytvanck, the second seed, won the women’s final with a 7-6 (3) 6-2 success over Australian Arina Rodionova.