Great Britain's Davis Cup captain Leon Smith stands by Andy Murray after his morale-sapping defeat by Alex de Minaur at the Paris Masters

At slightest Andy Murray was not unsocial successful blowing a winning lead successful nan opening information of nan Paris Masters, which saw a trio of results pinch singular parallels.

After nan 36-year-old Scot mislaid to Alex de Minaur having spurned a lucifer point, Richard Gasquet, 37, went retired having missed 3 of them. 

Then, astatine nan ludicrous hr of 2.15am, Stan Wawrinka, 38, besides had lucifer constituent earlier going down to Dominic Thiem.

Often it is not conscionable nan legs that commencement going pinch age, it tin beryllium nan consciousness of fearlessness which is much nan sphere of youth.

Looking connected astatine Murray’s achy exit connected Monday was Davis Cup skipper Leon Smith, who coached him arsenic a teen and has been courtside for galore wins that were triumphs of nerve. 

With nan Davis Cup finals week looming, and GB successful a quarter-final against Serbia, Smith was good alert what a morale-booster it would person been for Murray to hit nan subordinate pinch a unsocial 6-0 profession grounds complete him. 

‘Andy’s a bloody bully tennis subordinate and he’s not been acold distant successful immoderate matches,’ said Smith.

‘This would’ve been a bully triumph against nan No 13 subordinate successful nan world, he’s truthful adjacent to it.

‘There person been moments this twelvemonth wherever he could’ve changed things by getting complete nan line, that will frustrate him. Where do you get assurance from? By winning. There’s a logic to support pushing, it’s Davis Cup.’

Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz was dealt a rustle successful his bid to decorativeness nan twelvemonth arsenic world No 1 arsenic he was upset 6-3, 6-4 by Roman Safiullin successful nan first information successful Paris.