Andy Murray’s ATP Tour comeback ended with defeat by Florian Mayer in the second round of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open tennis tournament.
The Wimbledon champion looked to be easing through when he led by a set and 3-0 but German Mayer won 11 of the last 14 games to triumph 3-6 6-4 6-2.
Murray is not scheduled to play another tournament before the Australian Open and the early exit in Doha leaves him short of competitive matches ahead of the year’s first Grand Slam.
Mayer, ranked 40th in the world, is a tricky customer with an unorthodox game but the Scot had won all their previous three meetings.
He won his first ATP Tour match since back surgery on Tuesday but it was little more than a gentle hit for the 26-year-old as he dispatched outclassed local wild card Mousa Zayed 6-0 6-0.
Mayer was a much bigger test but for a long time it looked like one Murray would negotiate without too many problems.
Murray has made a habit of starting the season strongly, winning the title in Doha in 2008 and 2009 and repeating the feat in Brisbane the last two years.
He returned to Qatar this year because it allowed him to get extra matches in at last week’s exhibition in Abu Dhabi.
Murray took the first with a break in the fifth game and there was no let-up as he raced into a 3-0 lead in the second set, but Mayer went on the offensive and withstood a barrage of pressure to level.
He then made it four games in a row to move ahead in the set but the British No 1 stopped the rot to force his opponent to serve for the set, but Mayer was on a roll and clinched it to love.
The 30-year-old German continued to keep Murray on the back foot with another break at the start of the decider and broke again to lead 5-2 before sealing victory.