Murray says playing only 'top-70' tennis after Zhuhai exit

Former number one Andy Murray said he was playing only "top-70, top-60" tennis after his bid to win a first singles title since major hip surgery came to a premature end on Thursday.

The flagging Briton lost over three sets to the 31st-ranked Australian Alex de Minaur at the Zhuhai Championships in China.

Murray, now 413 in the world, said afterwards that for "the first time in my entire career I did not practise the day before a match" -- part of a new routine to wring the most out of his creaking body.

It did not bring a second victory in three days though as De Minaur won 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 in just over two-and-a-half hours. He plays fourth seed Borna Coric from Croatia on Friday in the last eight.

The 32-year-old Murray on Tuesday won his first ATP Tour singles match since career-saving surgery in January with a three-set victory over American Tennys Sandgren.

Murray said he was pleased with aspects of his performance against 20-year-old De Minaur and his hip was fine, but admitted that he still lacked match fitness.

"My feeling tonight was at points I played very well but I was not able to sustain my level," he said.

"I am not playing top-20, top-30 tennis right now, I maybe am playing only top-70, top-60 level," he added.

"Physically I was struggling. I could play one or two good points, but then I was trying to finish the points a little bit early and shot selection then goes down when you're tired."
"My level dropped off a little bit and he capitalised on that."
- Top seed retires -
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