Two-time champion Andy Murray suffered a straight-set loss to Dusan Lajovic in the first round of the Miami Open.
Former world number one Murray, winner in 2009 and 2013, was beaten 6-4 7-5 by the Serb, 76th.
It comes a week after the tired 35-year-old Scotsman lost to Jack Draper in the third round at Indian Wells.
Fellow Briton Kyle Edmund is also out after losing 7-5 7-5 to Wu Yibing, while Emma Raducanu was defeated in the female painting by Bianca Andreescu.
Murray, currently 52nd in the world, won a remarkable seven tiebreaks among several marathon victories in a grueling opener to his 2023 season.
But he was unable to produce the required response after Lajovic, 32, forced the first break of serve in the seventh game and went on to win the first set.
Murray hinted another memorable comeback could be on the cards as he immediately pulled back to stay in the second set at 5-5.
However, Lajovic acted quickly to extinguish those hopes with another break and was relieved to serve out the game in straight sets when Murray framed a forehand.
“When I didn’t close, I thought it was happening again,” Lajovic, who will play American Maxime Cressy, said of Murray’s ability to fight back.
It’s a disappointing result for Murray, who hadn’t lost in the first round of a tournament since early January, and is now 8-5 on aggregate this season.
