Close shave for Andy Murray in Brisbane

Murray shrugged off a second set set-back to triumph 5-1 5-7 6-3 in two hours and five minutes against the World No 199, to set up a quarter-final meeting with Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan.

Murray told atptour.com: "I wasn't too disappointed with the way I played. For a first match of the year, that was a perfect match in many ways to go through some tough moments, a lot of long rallies, close games and important points."

Murray raced through the opening set with three breaks of the Millman serve but was broken twice in the second as the 23-year-old, playing in only his fifth tour-level match, fought back to take the tie into an unlikely decider. Fears grew for Murray as he looked in some pain at times in the third set, but he managed to claim the solitary break to wrap up a hard-fought victory.