Andy Murray joins Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in exclusive 500 club with win in Dubai

Andy Murray chalked up a 500th hard-court win in Dubai to join an exclusive club containing greats Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andre Agassi and Rafael Nadal.

It was Murray’s biggest result of the season – albeit a season that has yielded just two wins from six tournaments.

Asked about joining the exclusive 500 club with old rivals Federer, Djokovic and Nadal, Murray said: “It’s not bad!

“Hard courts have been a great surface for me over the years. 500 is a lot of matches. I’m very proud of that, obviously the list that you’ve given me, there’s not many players who have done that, so great to 500 before I’m done.”

Murray fell behind after surrendering his serve to Shapovalov in the ninth game of the first set, but steadied to take the second via a tie-break – drawing level after hanging tough in a pulsating set point.

He broke immediately at the start of the third set, and again at 5-3, as he became the fifth man to rack up 500 hard-court wins.

Federer leads the way with 783 hard-court victories, ahead of Djokovic (700), Agassi (592) and Nadal (518).

Murray will face a Frenchman in the last 16, either Gael Monfils or fifth seed Ugo Humbert. Daniil Medvedev is the top seed in Dubai.

Meanwhile, former Wimbledon semi-finalist Shapovalov is languishing at No. 120 in the ATP rankings, 53 places below Murray, after a long injury lay-off.