Brisbane International: Rune, Safiullin and Dimitrov Open 2024 season with wins in Sydney 

Holger Rune started his 2024 season with a comeback victory against Australian serve/volleyer Max Purcell to reach the second round at Brisbane International on Monday.

Rune, the top seed in Sydney, started the year ranked eighth in the world. She lost the opening set but came back strong in the final two sets to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.

“It was difficult at the beginning and I needed to make little adjustments. But it’s the first day of the season and I told myself to keep fighting and to find solutions,” Rune said after beating Purcell in one hundred and two minutes.

Victory for Max Purcell will see him lock horns with Ukrainian and World No. 48 Alexander Shevchenko in the round of 32.

Ben Shelton, ranked third in the world, lost to Wimbledon quarterfinalist Roman Safiullin 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-3 earlier in the day. Shelton was unable to generate much of an impact on return, winning just six points against Safiullin’s first serve and failing to convert any of the five break points he earned.

Shelton, who is ranked 17th in the world, was hoping to get off to a strong start this season, considering he will be defending 380 points through January after last year’s run to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.

Safiullin started the season at a career-high No. 39, has an opportunity to push higher in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, with just 42 points to defend through the year’s first Grand Slam.

World No.14 Grigor Dimitrov who started the year in top 20 also grew on his confidence from the ending of last season to rally from a set down to defeat Andy Murray 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.