Andy Murray's unbeaten run came to an end at the Paris Masters as Tomas Berdych edged a thrilling three-set encounter to book his place in the semi-finals.
Murray headed into the clash having lost in two of his previous three meetings with the Czech, but looked on course to level up their record having taken a tight first set.
But the fifth seed fought back in admirable fashion and, having squared the match via a tie-break, prevailed in a hugely-entertaining and sometimes bad-tempered third set to record a 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 victory in a little over three hours.
The defeat was Murray's first in some 19 matches and he will now have to regroup ahead of the ATP Tour Finals in London at the end of next week.
Murray made a tentative start as he fell 0-40 down in his opening service game, but fought back and sealed the hold with a forehand winner.
It was the British number one who continued to come under more pressure on his own delivery as Berdych brought up further break points, but the Czech could not convert.
He was made to pay as Murray registered the first break when his opponent could only volley his attempted forehand pass into the net.
Having held, the Scot then wasted seven set points in Berdych's next service game, but did eventually get the job done on his own at the ninth time of asking with a superb unreturnable forehand.
But the loss of that first set did not affect the Czech, indeed it seemed to spur him on to play some of his best tennis of the entire contest.
Having held, he quickly brought up his sixth break point and, although Murray saved that one, when a seventh arrived on the back of the Scot's first double-fault he took it to move 2-0 ahead.
Murray almost slipped two breaks behind as Berdych moved 15-40 ahead in his next service game, but he produced a couple of big points to see them off on his way to what would prove an important hold.
Serving to level the match at 5-3 Berdych put a backhand volley into the net to offer Murray two break back points and he duly took the second as the Czech dumped a weak forehand into the net.
The set headed into a tie-break and, after an early exchange of mini-breaks, it was Berdych who took control to move 5-2 up with two serves to come.
An inspired Murray fought back to win both points, the second with a wonderful cross-court backhand, and then levelled at 5-5 with a brilliantly-manufactured forehand pass on the run.
But a wild forehand on his next serve handed Berdych a set-point and the Czech served out to level the match.
It was Murray who created the first opportunity to break in the decider as he reached 15-40 when on the Berdych serve at 1-2.
The Czech managed to save both, but Murray was left fuming that his opponent was allowed to exchange some balls for new ones just prior to the break points.
He retained his composure sufficiently to produce a big hold when serving at 3-3 after falling 0-30 behind, but was not so lucky after falling 0-40 behind at 4-4.
Berdych dumped two returns from second serves into the net, but Murray saved him a job on the third by serving a double to gift his rival the break.
Murray fought fiercely to earn himself a three break-back points in an epic and nervy game as Berdych served for the match, but he could not convert and the Czech finally got over the line on his second match point when the Scot put a forehand return wide.
