Despite the crowd's support, the 36-year-old missed chances to win the first set and ultimately lost 6-7[3] 1-6 to the Russian in a match lasting one hour and 48 minutes.
In their previous two ATP Tour encounters, each player had claimed a victory, with their last meeting dating back to the 2021 Rotterdam Open, where Rublev secured a straight-sets win.
The first set of their match saw nine consecutive holds, with Murray impressing the crowd with a remarkable passing cross-court backhand. Murray managed to establish a 40-0 lead on Rublev's serve while aiming to close out the set, but the Russian managed to save all three break points, repeating the feat once again.
Rublev seized control in the tie-breaker, firing a couple of winners past Murray to take a 1-0 lead. However, his opening hold in the second set was anything but smooth, as he committed four unforced errors in that game alone.
However, Murray's last hold to 30 was the final highlight for him in the match. Rublev took advantage of Murray's increasing number of double faults and unforced errors. Despite having six break point opportunities, Murray couldn't convert any of them, ultimately leading to his exit from the tournament.
