Sports

Murray loses to Tipsarevic in opening match at Abu Dhabi exhibition tournament

Associated Press
Published | Updated

Andy Murray from Britain reacts after he missed a ball against Serbia's Janko Tipsarevic during the first day of Mubadala Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili) (The Associated Press)

Serbia's Janko Tipsarevic returns the ball to Andy Murray from Britain during the first day of Mubadala Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili) (The Associated Press)

Andy Murray's 2013 season is off to a shaky start — a 6-3, 6-4 loss to Janko Tipsarevic on Thursday in the World Tennis Championship exhibition tournament.

Two early breaks in each set helped Tipsarevic dispatch the third-ranked Murray 6-3 in the opening match. The ninth-ranked Serb next faces Nicolas Almagro, a late replacement for Rafael Nadal who pulled out with a stomach bug.

Fifth-ranked David Ferrer defeated sixth-ranked Tomas Berdych 6-2, 6-4 to set up a semifinal against top-ranked Novak Djokovic, who won the tournament last year.