Within the illustrious career of Andy Murray, one can deem it as one of the most agonizing defeats he has encountered. 

Despite his previous encounters with Alex de Minaur resulting in unfavorable outcomes, the former world No.1 seemed poised to seek retribution in the first round of the China Open on Thursday night. Alas, despite creating three match points to secure victory, Murray ultimately succumbed to a 6-3 5-7 7-6 (7/2) loss in Beijing. 

De Minaur has now etched his name alongside the esteemed company as the fourth player to consecutively triumph over the two-time Wimbledon champion on five occasions. This distinguished group includes none other than the formidable trio of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal. 

"We both didn't bring our best tennis, it was an absolute scrapfest," De Minaur said. "We were both unhappy with our levels but I kept my head screwed on and kept backing myself to find my best level. For now, I'm going to try and switch off from a very dramatic match."

De Minaur appeared destined for elimination from the competition, finding himself at a disheartening 5-2 deficit in the decisive set. However, fueled by his resilience, he valiantly saved two match points and skillfully reversed the course of the match.  

When pressed for comment regarding his remarkable ability to snatch victory from the clutches of defeat, the world No.12 responded with refreshing honesty, confessing, "I really don't know, It wasn't pretty but I'm very happy I was able to win."

The result marked the third instance this year where Murray has encountered an early exit from a tournament, falling victim to De Minaur in the opening round. The Australian, who previously dashed Murray's hopes of securing a Wimbledon seeding with a win at Queen's in July, continued his dominance with another notable victory at the Monte Carlo Masters. 

The latest setback undeniably left Murray in a state of frustration, evident in his actions on the court. In a moment of exasperation, he impulsively pushed a camera aside. Furthermore, his mounting emotions reached a boiling point as he vehemently slammed his racket into the ground three consecutive times within a single game, thus picking up a code violation. 

In the forthcoming round, De Minaur will find himself confronting either the second seed, Daniil Medvedev, or the proficient Tommy Paul. Meanwhile, Murray is set to transition towards the Shanghai Masters, scheduled to start in October. 

Later in the day, Chinese wild-card Zhou Yi fell at the first hurdle as the 18-year-old youngster lost to Spain's Alejandro Fokina 6-2, 6-2.  

Fokina, boasting an impressive world ranking of 25th, made waves last year by toppling the likes of Novak Djokovic and reaching the finals of the Monte Carlo Masters. This year, he made a splash at the Rogers Cup, earning a spot in the quarterfinals for the first time. 

Widely recognized as one of the most rapidly rising stars in the tennis scene, Fokina proved to be a formidable opponent. Throughout the match, Zhou found herself consistently playing a defensive game, ultimately succumbing to defeat in straight sets, thus concluding her debut at the China Open. 

While Zhou may not have caused an upset, he remained satisfied with his performance. "Although I didn't come out on top today, I managed to acquire new skills and gain valuable experience. To me, that's a personal triumph," observed Zhou.

"Beijing is my hometown, and I've been watching the China Open since I was a child," he added. "Now, having so many spectators watching me play for the first time, I felt a bit nervous. In this match, I managed to hit some impressive shots, even though the outcome didn't go my way."