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Tag: Andy Murray

  • Three-time Grand Slam champion, Murray out of Australian Open with injury

    Britain’s Andy Murray has pulled out of the Australian Open after failing to recover from an ongoing hip injury.The three-time Grand Slam champion has not played a competitive match since Wimbledon last summer.

    “Sadly I won’t be playing in Melbourne this year, as I am not yet ready to compete,” said Murray, 30, who will fly back from Australia to London and “assess all the options”.

    The Australian Open starts on 15 January.

    “I appreciate all the messages of support and I hope to be back playing soon,” Murray added.

    In an emotional post on social media this week, Murray explained how demoralising it is to be short of fitness despite six months of painstaking rehabilitation. He stressed surgery was still something he wanted to avoid, but that it was now something he may have to consider.

    Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said: “We are fully aware that Andy has been going through a difficult period with his hip and that he’s done everything possible to prepare for the Australian summer.

    “Personally, I also know that Andy loves tennis and would do anything to play. This is a very hard decision for Andy and we totally respect it.

    Former world number one Murray has slipped to 16th in the rankings since he was beaten by America’s Sam Querrey in the Wimbledon quarter-finals last summer.

    He attempted to return at the US Open in August but pulled out two days before the start of the tournament.

    The Scot’s most recent match was a one-set exhibition match against Roberto Bautista Agut in Abu Dhabi last week.

    He also played an exhibition match against Roger Federer in November, losing 6-3 3-6 10-6 to the 2017 Australian Open and Wimbledon champion.

    Murray had hoped to make his return proper at this week’s Brisbane International tournament, but withdrew 48 hours before his first match with the American Ryan Harrison.

  • Australian Open: Murray crashes out after defeat by Mischa Zverev

    Andy Murray’s hopes of winning a first Australian Open title ended with a shock defeat by world number 50 Mischa Zverev of Germany in the fourth round.

    Murray, the world number one, dropped serve eight times as Zverev won 7-5 5-7 6-2 6-4 on Rod Laver Arena.

    It is the Briton’s earliest defeat in Melbourne since 2009, and the lowest-ranked player he has lost to at a Grand Slam since the 2006 Australian Open.

    Zverev goes on to face Roger Federer or Kei Nishikori in the quarter-finals.

    “It was kind of easy to stay aggressive but it was tough to stay calm,” said the German, who won in three hours and 33 minutes.

    “I was expecting to maybe double fault in the last game but somehow I made it.”

    Murray had been hoping to go one better than five runner-up finishes in Melbourne, but he was unable to cope with the serve-and-volley skills of Zverev.

    The 29-year-old German, a contemporary of Murray from junior days, was ranked outside the world’s top 1,000 two years ago after a succession of injury problems.

    He fought his way back up the rankings with an attacking style that he used to great effect against Murray, serve-volleying 119 times and winning 65 points at the net, while dismantling the Briton’s second serve.

    Murray ended the match with an impressive 71 winners to 28 unforced errors, but it was still not enough against an opponent constantly putting him under pressure.

    The top seed began well, holding points to lead 4-1, but Zverev got the break back with a return winner and would not give the world number one a chance to settle from then on.

    Zverev recovered another break in game nine and then moved ahead with a delicate drop volley before seeing out the set.

    Murray roared in relief when he levelled at a set all with a rasping winner after again being pegged back twice, but from midway through the third set it was clear that Zverev was the man in command.

    He reeled off five straight games to move two sets to one and a break up, and despite one desperately nervous smash into the net – managed to serve his way to victory.

  • Britain’s Murray, Evans enter 16 of Australian Open on Sunday

    Murray is expected to be in action at about 03:00 GMT on Sunday and thinks he will have to change his tactics against Zverev.

    “He has a very different game style to most of the guys now, he’s serve-volleying, coming forward as much as possible,” said Murray.

    “He doesn’t serve like 220km/h. He serves 185s, 190s, but places it well. People say you can’t play that way anymore and be successful, but he’s done that the last few months.”

    Zverev, the older brother of 19-year-old rising star Alexander Zverev, who lost to Rafael Nadal in the third round, hopes to frustrate the Scot.

    “If he plays his best tennis, obviously, I don’t have a lot of chances, but it’ll depend on the day,” said Zverev.

    “Let’s see if I can annoy him a little bit. If I’m serving well and not missing any volleys, maybe I can do some damage.”

    The last time two British men made the quarter-finals of the same Grand Slam tournament was in 1997 when Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski reached the last eight at Wimbledon.

    Great Britain’s Andy Murray and Dan Evans will both be playing in the last 16 of the Australian Open on Sunday.

    World number one Murray, 29, plays Germany’s Mischa Zverev, who is 50th in the rankings before Dan Evans faces France’s 12th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

    This is Evans’ best run at a Grand Slam after victories over Marin Cilic and Bernard Tomic in the last two rounds.

    “It was a goal to make the fourth round of a Slam this year,” said the 26-year-old, who is ranked 51st in the world.

    “It’s satisfying, but I’m not looking back. Whatever happens, it’s been a great tournament, but there’s still some tennis to be played.”

    Tsonga, an Australian Open finalist in 2008, is expecting a tough challenge in their match, which will not start before 05:30 GMT.

    “He’s very talented, he can do everything,” said Tsonga. “He can play short points or rallies and he’s got a one-handed backhand which isn’t easy to control.”

     

  • Australian Open: Murray through to third round, to face Querrey

    Britain’s Dan Evans knocked out seventh seed Marin Cilic at the Australian Open as compatriot Andy Murray progressed to the third round on Wednesday.

    World number one Murray was a convincing 6-3 6-0 6-2 winner against 19-year-old Russian Andrey Rublev.

    Evans earlier fought back to win 3-6 7-5 6-3 6-3 and caused a major upset against former U.S. Open champion Cilic.

    It is the second time the 26-year-old British number three has beaten a player ranked in the world’s top 10.

    Evans will take on Australian 27th seed Bernard Tomic or Victor Estrella Burgos of the Dominican Republic.

    Murray will face American world number 32 Sam Querrey in the third round.

    It took Murray just 63 minutes to race into a two-set lead against Rublev, who was making only his second Grand Slam appearance.

    But there were concerns for the Scot at 1-1 in the third set when he rolled his right ankle and cried out in pain as he fell to the floor.

    A tournament doctor came out to check on Murray, who expressed his discomfort towards Coach Ivan Lendl in the players’ box.

    “It is just a little sore. It’s not too serious,” said Murray.

    “I definitely rolled it a bit and I’m sure I’ll get some ice on it tonight. I was moving OK. I can put weight on.

    “Sam Querrey in the next round will be a tough one. He’s got a big game, a big serve and takes chances with his forehand.”

    Birmingham’s Evans had earlier required the third of three match points to finish off the seventh seed on his own serve.

    “To come through in the last match point was pleasing for me,” he said.

    “I struggled with the shade on the court and his pace on the ball was coming through pretty quick, but when the sun went down I got into the match.”

    The final two sets were a tussle, with service breaks from both players, but Evans held his nerve to win.

    Compatriots Heather Watson and Naomi Broady were knocked out of the women’s doubles in the first round, losing 7-5 2-6 7-6 (7-5) to Italy’s Karin Knapp and Luxembourg’s Mandy Minella respectively.