Murray failed to keep up with intensity in De Minaur defeat

After heading out of the Zhuhai Open at the hands of Alex De Minaur, Andy Murray conceded he struggled to keep up with the intensity.

Andy Murray speaking at a press conference at the Zhuhai Open.

Andy Murray has acknowledged he struggled with the physical demands of his match against Alex De Minaur at the Zhuhai Open.

Former world number one Murray, who overcame a gruelling first-round clash with Tennys Sandgren on Tuesday, suffered a 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 defeat to 20-year-old Australian De Minaur in the second round on Thursday.

Murray looked in sharp form in the first set, yet De Minaur started to get the better of him in set two, coming out on top in some thrilling rallies.

The Scot squandered three break points as he attempted to revive his challenge, but De Minaur triumphed with a second match point, with Murray subsequently conceding he struggled with the intensity of the play.

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"Physically, I was struggling," said Murray, who underwent hip surgery in January. "My level dropped off a little bit and he capitalised on that."

"My body held up well after two pretty long matches but the rest of my body is just tired. I wasn't able to sustain it for long enough."

Quoted by BBC Sport , he added: "I played one or two good points, but then I was trying to finish the points a little bit early and shot selection goes down when you're tired."

Murray's focus will switch to Beijing and next week's China Open, while the 32-year-old will also take part in the Shanghai Masters as he continues his singles comeback.