Having lost to world number 10 Hurkacz in both Cincinnati and Metz, Murray claimed a hard-fought victory that took two hours and 40 minutes over three sets.
Hurkacz has enjoyed a brilliant 2021, winning three singles titles, but despite forcing a decider, went down 4-6 7-6 (8-6) 3-6 on Monday in a defeat that dealt a blow to his ATP Finals hopes.
Murray blames ‘poor attitude’ for Schwartzman loss in Antwerp
“My movement has been getting a little better with each match,” Murray said. “It was a good match that could have gone either way. It was a good win in tough circumstances.”
“A lot of my movement is about anticipation and when you’re not playing many matches – like I haven’t been in recent years – you don’t read the play quite as well.
“Now I’m starting to see the ball a little earlier and starting to react a little quicker, which means I will start to chase more balls down.”
The Scot has been drawn against Carlos Alcaraz, who beat the 34-year-old’s fellow Briton Dan Evans in straight sets. Murray defeated the Spanish teenager in a thrilling tussle at Indian Wells earlier this month.
Third seed and 2021 Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini also made it through, beating Alexei Popyrin 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 to avoid an upset after a keenly contested first set.
Meanwhile, seventh seed Alexander Bublik claimed a comfortable 6-3 6-4 win over Evgeny Tyurnev at the St. Petersburg Open.
Sebastian Korda and Jan-Lennard Struff also progressed in Russia.
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