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Tag: Andy Murray

  • ANDY MURRAY: I want to play one more Olympics before retiring

    ANDY MURRAY: I want to play one more Olympics before retiring

    British tennis player Andy Murray was soundly beaten in Dubai by Ugo Humbert and said afterwards that he is unlikely to play beyond this summer

    Andy Murray is finally beginning to clarify his retirement plans after another one-sided defeat in which he could be heard saying “I don’t have a clue what I’m doing.”

    Speaking after his 6-2, 6-4 defeat at the hands of France’s Ugo Humbert, Murray said: “I’m likely not going to play past this summer. I get asked about it after every single match that I play, every single tournament that I play. I’m bored of the question, to be honest.”

    The only remaining debate would be whether Murray finishes at Wimbledon or waits for the Olympics, he expressed enthusiasm for a fifth appearance at the Games.

    “Hopefully I can get the chance to compete at another one,” said Murray of the Olympics, where he carried the flag for Great Britain in 2016 while also becoming the only man to successfully defend a singles title.

    Sources suggest that, while Murray would have little chance of earning a medal in the singles event on the clay of Roland Garros – which is his least favourite surface, he has his eye on the doubles. One scenario might see him partnering his friend Dan Evans.

    Murray admitted that he has yet to decide quite how he will handle his departure from the sport at the age of 36.

    “When the time is right I will probably say something before I play my last match and my last tournament,” he said. “Whether I say anything months ahead of the time I don’t know.

    “There’s no right way of finishing your career and everyone is different so what might be the right way for [Roger] Federer might not be the right way for [Rafael] Nadal, might not be the right way for [Novak] Djokovic.”

    Murray’s performance in Dubai only added to the sense of a man on borrowed time. The left-handed Humbert recently cracked the world’s top 20 for the first time, so he is a player in form. But that can hardly explain the ineffectuality of Murray’s return game.

    Usually known as one of the world’s greatest returners, Murray is also well-versed in dealing with a swinging lefty serve, as he grew up facing his elder brother Jamie on the courts of Dunblane.

    Against Humbert, however, he was utterly at a loss. In the first set, he won just a single point during four return games, which the commentators suggested might be a career low. After one misplaced forehand, he started yelling at the coaches in his player box, saying “I don’t have a clue what I’m doing. Oh God. Awful feelings. Awful feelings on the tennis court. Horrific.”

    Murray also got told off by the chair umpire for conversing with his coach Mark Hilton at the end of the first set. According to the latest rules on the ATP Tour, any guidance from coaches during matches has to be one-way, rather than an exchange between the two parties.

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    Murray has given little sense of enjoying his tennis this year, even though there have been occasional flickers of promise. At last week’s tournament in Doha, he appeared to be getting on top of 18-year-old Czech prodigy Jakub Mensik, only to botch a routine volley that would have landed him the opening set. Mensik went on to reach the final, as Murray had at that event last year.

    The loss of those points in Doha sent Murray tumbling down 17 places to No 67 in the world rankings, although he may regain a few spots after his first-round win over Denis Shapovalov in Dubai on Monday.

    The start of his present slump can be dated back to Beijing in late September, when he squandered a 5-2 deciding-set lead against Australian No 1 Alex de Minaur. That took a large bite out of his already fragile confidence, and began a run of 13 matches in which he has scored only three wins: comfortably the worst streak of his career.

    Speaking to Sky Sports this week, Murray revealed that he had even changed his racket set-up over the off-season, after sticking with the same formula for the best part of two decades. It was a clear indication of a man who is searching for solutions. His many admirers can only hope that he manages to drag a few more bloody-minded victories from his five remaining months on the tour.

  • Murray ‘optimistic’ he can play this year, says mother

    Andy Murray is “cautiously optimistic” he will be able to play tennis again this season after successfully undergoing hip surgery, his mother Judy has said.

    The three-time Grand Slam champion said at this year’s Australian Open that constant pain in his hip had brought him to the verge of quitting tennis, but revealed last month that he was pain free after the procedure in January.

    Murray posted an Instagram video of himself on an outdoor court earlier this month, describing the footage of him hitting a tennis ball for the first time since the surgery as “a start”.

    He followed that up with a video of himself playing a round of golf that reinforced the message that he was on the mend.

    “It’s still early days so we will have to wait and see what happens.

    “He is cautiously optimistic about getting back on the match court perhaps at some point over the summer,” Judy was quoted as saying by British media.

    “He was told not to do impact work, which basically means running around the garden hitting a ball, for three months but he’s been hitting against a wall from a static position.”

    Murray hoped to make his comeback at Wimbledon and said in March that he would consider playing doubles because it would put less stress on his hip.

    The 31-year-old twice Wimbledon champion has compared his situation to that of American doubles player Bob Bryan, who returned to competitive tennis 5 to 1/2 months after undergoing a similar procedure. (Reuters/NAN)

  • Murray bows out of Australian Open after epic comeback

    Andy Murray’s hopes of a fairytale swansong at the Australian Open were crushed in the first round on Monday in Melbourne.

    Roberto Bautista Agut held off a thrilling fight back from the ailing Briton to claim a 6-4 6-4 6-7(5) 6-7(4) 6-2 epic.

    Though locked in a losing battle with his troublesome right hip, the former world number one whipped the Melbourne Arena crowd into frenzy.

    Read Also: Murray: I don’t know how long I’ll last

    This was when he battled back from two sets down to push the match into a fifth.

    It seemed the momentum was all Murray’s, but it was all a mirage as Bautista Agut rallied to break the Scot twice and roar to a 5-1 lead.

    Murray raised his racquet to salute the crowd before his final service game.

    But his fans could not prevent Bautista Agut serving out the match to love and ending the Scot’s brave resistance after four hours and nine minutes.

    NAN

  • Hip Injury:Emotional Andy Murray to retire in July

     

    Andy Murray broke down in tears Friday as he revealed that he will end his incredible tennis career at Wimbledon in July after failing to overcome a devastating hip injury.

    In an emotional press conference, the two-time Wimbledon champion, 31, revealed that the pain was so great that the Australian Open, which starts on Monday, could be the last tournament he ever plays in.

    He said that he hopes to go on until Wimbledon this summer but feels that even that may be a bridge too far, with the pain becoming so unbearable that he was struggling to even put on socks or shoes.

    The Scot, who was thrashed in a practice match by Novak Djokovic Thursday, still plans to take his place in the Melbourne draw, but he could not rule out walking away from the sport if he loses in the first round.

    It would bring down the curtain on one of the great British sporting careers, one that has seen him win three Grand Slams, two Olympic golds and the Davis Cup.

    The announcement was met with shock and sadness from the tennis world, with former icons such as Billie Jean King and Andy Roddick calling the Brit a ‘great champion’ and ‘absolute legend’.

    Murray, a father-of-two, began his press conference by stating ‘I’m not great’ in a broken tone when asked how he was feeling after an 18-month battle to return to the sport.

    He then became emotional and left the room for several minutes to compose himself, and on returning laid bare in heartbreaking detail how the pain in his hip meant he had stopped enjoying the sport he loved.

    ‘I’ve tried pretty much everything I could do but it hasn’t worked. In the middle of December I spoke to my team and told them I can’t keep doing this.

    Women’s ace Donna Vekic simply tweeted the praying hands and a sad face emoji as she reacted to the news in the early hours of Friday morning.

  • The Generation Game: Golden oldie era of Federer, Djokovic and Rafa rip tennis rulebook

    For the first time in nearly half a century, the top five seeds at last year’s Wimbledon (Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Stan Wawrinka) were all 30 or older.

    In the top 100 in the men’s game, 40 of them are 30 or older. The average age of the top 100 is approaching 29. Back in 1990 it was 24.

    Federer is world number one and just won his 20th slam at the age of 36. Nadal is the third oldest player ever to hold that ranking at the age of 31. Wawrinka won his last slam in his 32nd year and Murray and Djokovic had their best ever years at the age of 29 and 28, respectively.

    So is it about time we dismiss the notion that a player peaks in their mid to early 20s?

    Novak Djokovic’s tennis analyst, Craig O’Shannessy, says not only do players peak in their late 20s to early 30s; the likes of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have been playing better than ever.

    “This is the best Roger Federer has ever played,” he said.

    “He is serving better than ever, 80% and 59% of first and second service points won and his backhand is far better than it was during his ‘peak years’ over 10 years ago. That is why he has been able to dismantle Nadal in a way he never previously could.

    “Nadal arguably had his best ever clay court swing in 2017. He won 56% of all points that he played last year, which is the first time he has done that.

    “When he won nine out of 10 French Open’s he was winning 56% of all his points, so that shows how well he was playing.

    “Novak and Murray all had their best years over 2015 and 2016, when they were 28 and 29 respectively. You don’t just stop improving when you hit 25 – practice makes perfect.”

  • Murray pulls out of Australian Open with hip injury

    Murray pulls out of Australian Open with hip injury

    Former world number one Andy Murray has pulled out of the Australian Open after failing to recover from a hip injury, tournament organisers said on Thursday.

    The three-time Grand Slam winner has not played a competitive match since a Wimbledon quarter-final loss last July.

    In spite of coming through a one-set exhibition in Abu Dhabi last week, the Briton has now decided to focus on rehabilitation.

    “Sadly I won’t be playing in Melbourne this year, as I am not yet ready to compete,” Murray, a five-times Australian Open runner-up, said in a statement.

    “I’ll be flying home shortly to assess all the options. But I appreciate all the messages of support and I hope to be back playing soon.”

    The first Grand Slam of the year begins on Jan. 15 at Melbourne Park.

  • Murray arrives in Brisbane ahead of injury comeback

    Murray arrives in Brisbane ahead of injury comeback

     

    Andy Murray made his belated arrival in Australia on Saturday afternoon as he steps up preparations ahead of his proposed injury comeback at the Brisbane Open next week.

    The British No 1 was seen walking through Brisbane International Airport with several large bags as he came prepared to play in his first ATP tournament since Wimbledon last summer.

    Murray arrived after a surprisingly busy layover in Abu Dhabi, where he was a late replacement for Novak Djokovic in a one-set exhibition match against Roberto Bautista Agut, which he lost 6-2.

    His lacklustre display would have come as little concern, however, as his main focus will be preparing for the first grand slam of the season, the Australian Open, which begins in Melbourne next week.

    The Brisbane Open will be an important step in Murray’s return from a longstanding hip injury, which saw him miss the latter half of the 2016 season. He has been granted a first-round bye and will face American Ryan Harrison or Leonardo Mayer of Argentina in the second round.

    Although Murray still appeared to be walking with a limp during his defeat in Abu Dhabi, he was happy with his display against the world No 20 and suitably encouraged to take an early flight to Australia.

    ‘I felt better as it went on,’ he said afterwards. ‘Obviously I was a little slow at the start. When you haven’t competed for a while it takes time to get up with the pace.

    ‘I will need to keep improving. I was lucky to be able to come out and play, it was good fun, I’ve missed it.’

    One player who will have to wait a little longer for his comeback is Djokovic, who has been forced to withdraw from the Qatar Open due to a recurrence of an elbow injury that has, like Murray, kept him out since Wimbledon.

    The Serb is now a major doubt for the Australian Open, but has yet to announce any decision on his participation in Melbourne and remains on the start list.

    Fellow Brit Jo Konta is already settled in Australia ahead of her own appearance at the ATP’s first tournament of the new season and was pictured training at the Pat Rafter Arena in Brisbane on Saturday.

    Konta is the fifth seed going into the tournament but faces a tough opening round against US Open finalist Madison Keys.

  • Federer’s pullout of Cincinnati, hands number one spot to Nadal

    Federer’s pullout of Cincinnati, hands number one spot to Nadal

    Roger Federer has pulled out of the Cincinnati Open with a back injury, meaning Rafa Nadal will return next week as the world number one for the first time since 2014.

    Federer, who has participated in the Ohio warm-up tournament for the U.S. Open on seven occasions, said he had picked up the injury in Montreal, where he lost to Germany’s Alexander Zverev in the final.

    “I am very sorry to pull out of the Western and Southern Open as I always enjoy playing here,” Federer said in a statement issued by the tournament.

    “Cincinnati has some of the best fans in the world and I am sorry I will miss them.

    “Unfortunately, I tweaked my back in Montreal and I need to rest this week.”

    Federer’s withdrawal assures that Nadal will be top of the rankings when they are issued on Aug. 21.

    The Spaniard will be back in the top spot for the first time since July 6, 2014.

    Nadal will take the number one position from Briton Andy Murray, who previously announced he would not play in Cincinnati due to a hip injury.

    Nadal, who has won one grand slam and two Masters 1000 titles in 2017, was upset by 18-year-old Canadian Denis Shapovalov at the Rogers Cup last week.

  • Serena hails women’s advocate Murray

    Serena hails women’s advocate Murray

    Andy Murray may have failed to defend his title at Wimbledon after booking quarter final exit no thanks to America’s Sam Querrey, but he can take consolation in the fact that the ladies will not hesitate to vote for him should he decide to contest for election.

    Serena Williams currently on sabbatical following her pregnancy, says all women players “love” Andy Murray as he has “spoken up for women’s rights and issues”.

    In his post-match press conference, the 30-year-old was asked for his thoughts on Querrey, who was described by a reporter “as the first American to reach a Grand Slam semi-final since 2009”.

    However, Murray quickly corrected the questioner. “First male player,” he shot back.

    Williams, the winner of a record 23 Grand Slam singles titles – 12 of which have come since Andy Roddick was the last US man to make the semi-finals of a Slam at Wimbledon in 2009 – hailed Murray as a great champion of women’s sport.

    “There should not be a woman athlete or tennis player who is not totally supportive of Andy Murray,” Williams told ESPN. “He has spoken up for women’s rights and issues especially in tennis forever.

    “He’s done it again. That’s who he is and that’s the thing we love about him. He has done so much for us on the tour. We love Andy Murray.”

    Williams, 35, won her seventh Wimbledon title in 2016 missed the tournament this year as she prepares to give birth to her first child next month.

    Big sister Venus is keeping the family flag flying at the All England Club, reaching Saturday’s final where she will face Spain’s Garbine Muguruza.

    “I feel like I’m there, in a weird way. I feel like I’ve been there for the whole journey,” said Serena, who has faced her sister in four Wimbledon singles finals.

    “We talk every day and we text every day, not about tennis always – our relationship isn’t based around tennis so it’s just been really great. I miss her a lot and I look forward to her coming back.

    “All my energy is towards making her want to be great and making her want to win. It’s just a totally different feeling.”

  • Andy Murray crashes out of Wimbledon

    Andy Murray crashes out of Wimbledon

    Andy Murray has crashed out of Wimbledon in the quarter-finals leaving British hopes resting on Johanna Konta.

    Murray lost out in an epic five-set match against the 6ft 6in American Sam Querrey, who became the first US tennis player to reach the semi-finals of Wimbledon since Andy Roddick eight years ago.

    The world number one was unable to replicate Konta’s success on Centre Court yesterday losing 6-3, 4-6, 7-6, 1-6, 1-6.

    Murray came into the tournament dealing with a sore left hip and it clearly impeded him as the match wore on. He grimaced as he stumbled or landed awkwardly while attempting to play his game.

    Defending champion Andy Murray looked in discomfort during the match and British hopes now rest on Johanna Konta

    Murray’s defeat means the 50-year wait for a British man and woman in the Wimbledon semi-finals goes on.

    Konta yesterday became the first British woman to make it to the semi-finals of Wimbledon since Virginia Wade in 1978.

    Ice-cool Konta held her nerve in a nail-biting three-set match against world number two Simona Halep, coming from one set down to win 6-7 7-6 6-4.

    Wade, who was also the last British woman to lift the Wimbledon trophy in 1977, watched on from the Royal Box and said she was ‘ultra-impressed’ by Konta’s ‘absolutely stunning performance’.

    However Murray, who was clearly struggling with injury and was seen clutching his troublesome hip, was unable to replicate her success.

    The pair had met eight times previously, with Murray winning seven, but Querrey is a tricky opponent on grass and so he proved today.

    Last year he dumped out Novak Djokovic and his monstrous serve and powerful ground strokes proved too much for injury hit Murray to handle.

    Querrey hit 27 aces and 70 winners, 30 of them from the net, as he attacked at every opportunity.

    The 29-year-old, who was cheered on by his model girlfriend Abby Dixon, becomes the first US tennis player to reach the semi-finals of Wimbledon since 2009.

    Limping between points and fading down the stretch, defending champion Andy Murray was stunned by the 24th seed

    Speaking to BBC Sport after his win, he said: ‘I’m still in a bit of shock myself. That last point, I was so happy to get the serve. I’m thrilled right now.

    ‘I didn’t start my best but I kept with it, kept swinging away, then really found a groove in the fourth and fifth set and then everything started falling my way.

    ‘It feels great – this is a dream come true, to be in the semi-finals and to have it at Wimbledon makes it feel more special. I’m going to enjoy this win a little bit longer, then have an easy day tomorrow and get ready for the semis.’