Andy Murray’s 19-match winning streak on grass came to an end as he was defeated in straight sets by Radek Stepanek at Queen’s Club – his last competitive match before beginning the defence of his Wimbledon crown.
The British number one had not tasted defeat on grass since losing the 2012 Wimbledon final to Roger Federer.
That run included winning singles gold at the London 2012 Olympics before returning to the same venue in 2013 to become the first British man since Fred Perry to lift the Wimbledon trophy with a straight sets victory over Novak Djokovic.
But despite beating Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu in round three on Wednesday, Murray was unable to find his rhythm against his Czech opponent.
The defending Queen’s Club champion missed eight set points, including letting a 6-2 lead in the tie-break slip, as Stepanek took the first set in 75 minutes.
And he was unable to find a way back in the second either, as Stepanek maintained his consistency to take the match 7-6 (12-10), 6-2 and bring an end to Murray’s bid for a fourth Aegon Championships title.
Murray now turns his attention to defending his Wimbledon title, with the tournament starting a week on Monday.
© Sportsbeat 2014