World number one Andy Murray lost 6-3 6-3 to unseeded Borna Coric in the Madrid Open third round on Thursday as his difficult start to the claycourt season continued, while Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic eased into the quarter-finals.
The Briton played poorly in the first set, losing three service games and looking increasingly frustrated.
Murray was on the verge of being broken in his first service game in the second set before recovering and then earned two break points in the third game but was unable to take advantage.
He surrendered his serve in the seventh game, giving the 20-year-old Coric three break points.
World No. 59 Coric, who won his first ATP title last month in the Grand Prix Hassan II in Marrakech, took the second break point to serve out for the match, sending last year's finalist and two-time Madrid champion Murray packing.
Murray also lost at the last-16 stage in last month's Monte Carlo Masters, his first tournament after recovering from an elbow injury, and was then beaten by Dominic Thiem in the Barcelona Open semi-finals.
"Most things weren't working particularly well. I started the match okay, but when I started to go behind, I didn't find any way to improve my game or to make it more difficult for him," Murray told a news conference.
"I didn't help myself find a way into the match to start playing better. That was disappointing because you're not always going to play your best tennis but you can still find ways to make it difficult for your opponent and I didn't do that today.
Next up for Murray is defending his Rome Masters title next week, his last ATP tournament before the French Open.
"I couldn't imagine this when I woke up this morning, I always believed but I wasn't sure how I was going to play, but in the end I played as I had dreamed," Coric told Television Espanola.
World number two Djokovic also reached the last eight with a 6-4 7-5 over Feliciano Lopez, while crowd favourite Nadal made light work of the lacklustre Nick Kyrgios, winning 6-3 6-1.
Defending champion Djokovic had fewer problems against the 35-year-old Spaniard than in his three-set second-round test with Nicolas Almagro on Wednesday, taking the first set 6-4 before breaking in the 12th game of the second to avoid a tie-break.
Rain in the Spanish capital meant the roof on the Manolo Santana court was closed for the game, slowing down Lopez's powerful serve to the advantage of the Serb, who recently split from his long-term coach Marian Vajda.
Four-time champion Nadal, the only Spaniard left in the tournament, demolished Kyrgios, who lost interest as the match progressed, provoking boos from the crowd.
Nadal meets David Goffin in the quarter-finals on Friday after the Belgian beat Milos Raonic 6-4 6-2, while Djokovic will play Japanese sixth seed Kei Nishikori, who saw off David Ferrer of Spain 6-4 6-3.
German Alexander Zverev also reached the last eight by beating Czech Tomas Berdych and will play Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay, while Coric will play Dominic Thiem, who lost the Barcelona Open final to Nadal last month.
Reuters
Fri May 12 2017
Murray wipes his face during the ATP 1000 Masters match with Borna Coric of Croatia at the Madrid Open in Spain, May 11, 2017. REUTERS/Sergio Perez
Kes model sambilan bunuh teman lelaki: Tarikh baharu sebutan ditetap 28 Mei
Mahkamah Majistret menetapkan 28 Mei ini sebagai tarikh baharu sebutan kes seorang model sambilan wanita yang didakwa membunuh teman lelakinya.
Pantau Agenda Reformasi: Misi Break The Siege: Freedom Flotilla to Gaza
Pantau Agenda Reformasi hari ini membawakan Profesor Hubungan Antarabangsa di Fakulti Undang-Undang dan Hubungan Antarabangsa di UNISZA, Prof Dr Mohd Afandi Salleh, yang juga merupakan bekas peserta misi Flotilla ke Gaza pada 2018, berkongsi pengalamannya ketika ditahan pihak rejim Israel sewaktu misi tersebut. Antara lain perbincangan tertumpu ke arah aspek hubungan antarabangsa serta undang-undang di perairan antarabangsa.
Nahas helikopter Lumut: Mindef pertimbang keperluan teliti SOP latihan udara - Mohamed Khaled
Mindef akan mempertimbangkan keperluan untuk meneliti semula SOP latihan udara membentuk formasi penerbangan lintas hormat bagi mengelak tragedi.
Keselamatan siber: Keterangkuman, kepelbagaian perkasa sumbangan wanita
Wanita harus mula memberi fokus dan penekanan terhadap keterangkuman dan kepelbagaian perspektif bagi membolehkan mereka menangani cabaran industri dengan berkesan.
Penyerang Kamal Adli dijatuhkan hukuman lebih 2 tahun oleh mahkamah Singapura
Lelaki yang menyerang pelakon Malaysia, Kamal Adli menggunakan belantan tahun lepas, dijatuhkan hukuman penjara dua tahun, empat bulan dan dua minggu.
Peruntukan pembangkang: Terserah Muhyiddin untuk persoal keikhlasan kerajaan - Fadillah
Beliau enggan melayani sindiran bekas Perdana Menteri yang juga Pengerusi Perikatan Nasional, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin tentang isu tersebut.
SPRM jangka ada beberapa tangkapan isu tuntutan palsu anak menteri besar - Azam
SPRM akan membuat beberapa tangkapan lagi, berhubung kes melibatkan anak seorang menteri besar bagi membantu siasatan kes tuntutan palsu berjumlah RM600,000.
SPRM akan panggil beberapa lagi individu bantu siasatan
Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) akan memanggil beberapa lagi individu bagi membantu siasatan dakwaan pemalsuan dokumen tuntutan berjumlah RM600,000 melibatkan lima individu termasuk anak seorang Menteri Besar.
Pak Lah stabil, masih perlukan rehat secukupnya
Mantan Perdana Menteri, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi dimasukkan ke Institut Jantung Negara (IJN), di sini, pada Rabu setelah mengalami small spontaneous pneumothorax.
Buat masa ini, keadaan beliau dilaporkan stabil dan masih dirawat di Unit Penjagaan Koronari (Coronary Care Unit).
Buat masa ini, keadaan beliau dilaporkan stabil dan masih dirawat di Unit Penjagaan Koronari (Coronary Care Unit).
SPRM tidak pernah henti siasatan kes LCS - Azam Baki
Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) tidak pernah menghentikan siasatan berhubung kes pembinaan Kapal Tempur Pesisir (LCS).
Terbuka Miami: Andy Murray lanjut tempoh rehat susulan kecederaan buku lali
Murray rebah ke lantai selepas cedera di pergelangan kakinya ketika berlari ke arah jaring untuk mendapatkan pukulan.
Masters Paris: Andy Murray akui sudah tidak seronok main tenis
Andy Murray mengakui sudah tidak lagi seronok dengan permainannya selepas tewas dalam pusingan pertama Tenis Masters Paris.
Tenis Terbuka AS: Murray lakar kemenangan ke-200 saingan Grand Slam
Andy Murray memenangi perlawanan grand slam yang ke-200 dengan kemenangan tiga set ke atas wakil Perancis, Corentin Moutet, di Terbuka AS.
Tenis Winbledon: Novak Djokovic atasi Stan Wawrinka, lolos ke pusingan keempat
Novak Djokovic menewaskan Stan Wawrinka dalam saingan Wimbledon untuk menempah tempat ke pusingan keempat.
Tenis Wimbledon: Perintah berkurung, kecederaan nyaris jejas peluang Andy Murray
Murray cuba menjelmakan prestasi jitu menerusi ketabahan, kemahiran dan kawalannya di atas gelanggang rumput apabila mendahului permainan.
Masters Monte Carlo: Wawrinka bangkit raih kemenangan, Murray terkandas
Kedua-dua pemain itu, yang merupakan pemenang tiga gelaran grand slam, melalui nasib berbeza dalam kejohanan berkenaan.
Terbuka Perancis: Murray sahkan tidak ambil bahagian
Murray mengalami masalah yang teruk dengan kecederaan dalam beberapa tahun kebelakangan ini.
Terbuka Vienna: Atasi Hurkacz, Murray mara ke pusingan kedua
Murray meraih kemenangan yang mengambil masa dua jam dan 40 minit dalam pertembungan tiga set.
Pasti bagus jika lebih ramai pemain ambil vaksin, kata Andy Murray
Andy Murray menggesa lebih ramai pemain tenis mengambil vaksin koronavirus menjelang Kejohanan Terbuka Australia tahun depan.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah antara yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.