Murray Begins 2013 With Win in Brisbane International Finals
World number three Andy Murray began his 2013 ATP World Tour season by winning a second-straight Brisbane International title, defeating Grigor Dimitrov 7-6(0), 6-4 in the finals. Murray earned $78,800 and 250 Emirates ATP Rankings points, while Dimitrov earned $41,540 and 150 points. Murray, who dedicated the win to a sick friend, credited Dimitrov for playing aggressively and with a lot of variety.
"He plays a lot of different shots, which is tough to play against because you’re kept off balance a lot of the time," said Murray. "I hope that the Australian Open goes a bit better for me than it did last year. I do feel more relaxed one week out from slam than I have done previously, that’s for sure, so I hope that’s a good sign."
Unshaken after being broken in his opening service game, which included a double fault, the top seed saved a set point at 5-6 to force a tie-break against 21-year-old Dimitrov, who was bidding to become the first Bulgarian ATP World Tour title winner in the Open Era. Murray played the perfect tie-break, claiming it 7-0 with an ace on set point.
In the second set, Murray won three successive games trailing 3-4 to seal the victory, which extended his FedEX ATP Head2Head lead over Dimitrov to 2-0. It’s the sixth time the Scot has managed a title defence and it was his 25th tour-level singles title.
Dimitrov, who began the week ranked 48th in the Emirates ATP Rankings, is projected to rise to a career-high 39th. Dimitrov said he wasn’t overwhelmed with nerves entering ATP World Tour final, and described Murray as one of the sport’s best returners.
"He’s a top guy, so he has his rhythm, his routine on court," said Dimitrov. "He pulled out some really, really good shots when he had to so I didn’t feel that I was far, far from winning the set or even the match."
