Murray's Grand build-up takes a turn for worse

SCOT FAILS TO CASH IN ON RETURN TO ACTION

- Yasmin Syed

ANDY MURRAY rang in the new year with a frustrating first-round defeat by Grigor Dimitrov the Brisbane at International.

The world No.42 was two games from victory but crashed out 4-6 7-5 6-2 to end his hopes of being seeded in the Australian Open.

Murray was playing his first competitive singles match since a first-round loss against Alex de Minaur at the Paris Masters in October after a shoulder injury ruled him out of representing Great Britain in the Davis Cup finals.

But in a rematch of the 2013 final, won by Murray, it was second seed Dimitrov who came out on top.