<a href="http://www.wionews.com/search?q=Andy+Murray">Andy Murray</a>, who had announced that he will be <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-andy-murray-breaks-down-at-press-conference-as-he-announces-intention-to-retire-189518">retiring this year</a> because of the severe pain from his troublesome right hip, might return to return to competitive tennis.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Murray's mother&nbsp;Judy said that the former world number one might return to the game after regaining full fitness but she also admitted that her son is aware that it might "not be possible."&nbsp;

"I think he will (return)," Judy was quoted as saying by Sky Sports at the Rio Open. "(But) I think he's aware that it might not be possible.&nbsp;

"He's a smart guy, he has a lot of interest in different things, he has a lot of options in life after tennis. But the most important thing is that he's free from the pain he's had for 20 months.&nbsp;

"He has a young family, you have to think about the quality of life for the rest of your life. Actually, that's the most important thing."&nbsp;

Three-times Grand Slam champion Murray has been struggling to recover from hip surgery and regain top form.&nbsp;

He recently underwent a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/british-tennis-star-andy-murray-undergoes-hip-surgery-in-london-informs-fans-via-instagram-193659">hip resurfacing surgery</a> in London.&nbsp;

The two-time Olympic champion said last month surgery was the only option if he wanted to extend his career.&nbsp;

"There is a strong possibility I won't come back and play after an operation. I want to play tennis, but not with the hip I have right now," Murray had said earlier.&nbsp;

Andy Murray, who had announced that he will be retiring this year because of the severe pain from his troublesome right hip, might return to return to competitive tennis.

Andy Murray, who had announced that he will be retiring this year because of the severe pain from his troublesome right hip, might return to return to competitive tennis. Murray's mother Judy said that the former world number one might return to the game after regaining full fitness but she also admitted that her son is aware that it might "not be possible." "I think he will (return)," Judy was quoted as saying by Sky Sports at the Rio Open. "(But) I think he's aware that it might not be possible. "He's a smart guy, he has a lot of interest in different things, he has a lot of options in life after tennis. But the most important thing is that he's free from the pain he's had for 20 months. "He has a young family, you have to think about the quality of life for the rest of your life. Actually, that's the most important thing." Three-times Grand Slam champion Murray has been struggling to recover from hip surgery and regain top form. He recently underwent a hip resurfacing surgery in London. The two-time Olympic champion said last month surgery was the only option if he wanted to extend his career. "There is a strong possibility I won't come back and play after an operation. I want to play tennis, but not with the hip I have right now," Murray had said earlier.

Andy Murray could make return after hip surgery, says mother Judy

Former world number one Andy Murray has undergone a hip resurfacing surgery in London, the 31-year-old Scot said on Tuesday.

Murray has struggled to regain form since undergoing hip surgery last year and was knocked out in the first round of the Australian Open earlier this month, having said the tournament could be his last as a professional.

His post on Instagram featured an X-ray picture of his hip.

"I now have a metal hip," Murray wrote in his post.

"Feeling a bit battered and bruised just now but hopefully that will be the end of my hip pain."

In an emotional news conference in Melbourne ahead of the Australian Open, Murray announced he would retire this year, preferably after a farewell appearance at Wimbledon.

The two-time Olympic champion told BBC this month that surgery was the only option if he wanted to extend his career.

"There is a strong possibility I won't come back and play after an operation. I want to play tennis, but not with the hip I have right now," he said.

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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BtNiST6FrYn/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">I underwent a hip resurfacing surgery in London yesterday morning...feeling a bit battered and bruised just now but hopefully that will be the end of my hip pain 😀 I now have a metal hip as you can see in the 2nd photo 👉👉 and I look like I've got a bit of a gut in photo 1😂</a>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/andymurray/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Andy Murray</a> (@andymurray) on <time datetime="2019-01-29T08:18:42+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Jan 29, 2019 at 12:18am PST</time>
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The ATP Tour posted a tweet in support for Murray: "Get well soon Andy, we know you will do everything to get back on tour!"

Three-time Grand Slam Murray initially had surgery on his right hip in January 2018 and has played 15 matches since returning to action last June.

He was due to play in next month's Marseille Open but withdrew from the tournament last week.

Former world number one Andy Murray has undergone a hip resurfacing surgery in London, the 31-year-old Scot said on Tuesday. Murray has struggled to regain form since undergoing hip surgery last year and was knocked out in the first round of the Australian Open earlier this month, having said the tournament could be his last as a professional.

Former world number one Andy Murray has undergone a hip resurfacing surgery in London, the 31-year-old Scot said on Tuesday. Murray has struggled to regain form since undergoing hip surgery last year and was knocked out in the first round of the Australian Open earlier this month, having said the tournament could be his last as a professional. His post on Instagram featured an X-ray picture of his hip. "I now have a metal hip," Murray wrote in his post. "Feeling a bit battered and bruised just now but hopefully that will be the end of my hip pain." In an emotional news conference in Melbourne ahead of the Australian Open, Murray announced he would retire this year, preferably after a farewell appearance at Wimbledon. The two-time Olympic champion told BBC this month that surgery was the only option if he wanted to extend his career. "There is a strong possibility I won't come back and play after an operation. I want to play tennis, but not with the hip I have right now," he said. View this post on Instagram I underwent a hip resurfacing surgery in London yesterday morning...feeling a bit battered and bruised just now but hopefully that will be the end of my hip pain 😀 I now have a metal hip as you can see in the 2nd photo 👉👉 and I look like I've got a bit of a gut in photo 1😂 A post shared by Andy Murray (@andymurray) on Jan 29, 2019 at 12:18am PST × The ATP Tour posted a tweet in support for Murray: "Get well soon Andy, we know you will do everything to get back on tour!" Three-time Grand Slam Murray initially had surgery on his right hip in January 2018 and has played 15 matches since returning to action last June. He was due to play in next month's Marseille Open but withdrew from the tournament last week.

British tennis star Andy Murray undergoes hip surgery in London, informs fans via Instagram

Britain's Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) is keen on working with Andy Murray, when the Scot calls time on his career, to transform and develop British tennis to produce more top 100 players in the next five years, according to a media report.

Murray, who was knocked out in the first round of the Australian Open on Monday, has <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/andy-murray-criticises-lta-for-failing-to-make-the-most-of-his-success-190769">criticised the sport's national governing body</a> for failing to grow the game over the last decade and not capitalising on his success.

In the wake of Murray's comments, new LTA chief executive Scott Lloyd told the Daily Telegraph he wanted to address the twice Wimbledon champion's concerns.

"We all want the same thing; to build on Andy's amazing achievements and ensure his success delivers a thriving legacy," Lloyd said.

"We have had some very exciting conversations with Andy's team and (his mother) Judy around, in particular, how we might go about developing a schools programme. We have equally acknowledged that Andy to date has had to focus on his career.

"As Andy mentioned, to really get children into our sport at the earliest possible age, and through a schools' programme would be fantastic. We are absolutely ready when he is to move something like that forward."

Performance director Simon Timson said the LTA was committed to long-term player development as part of a 10-year strategy that includes a new player pathway, a series of grassroots initiatives and the potential "Murray Legacy" schools programme.

"We will always welcome Andy's involvement with programmes and players. He is an iconic and inspirational figure – a beacon for what British tennis players can achieve," Timson said.

"The first five years, we wanted to support five new British players to break into the world's top 100. Katie Boulter (ranked 97) has already done it. We want to help four more get there by 2023."

Britain's Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) is keen on working with Andy Murray, when the Scot calls time on his career, to transform and develop British tennis to produce more top 100 players in the next five years, according to a media report.

Britain's Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) is keen on working with Andy Murray, when the Scot calls time on his career, to transform and develop British tennis to produce more top 100 players in the next five years, according to a media report. Murray, who was knocked out in the first round of the Australian Open on Monday, has criticised the sport's national governing body for failing to grow the game over the last decade and not capitalising on his success. In the wake of Murray's comments, new LTA chief executive Scott Lloyd told the Daily Telegraph he wanted to address the twice Wimbledon champion's concerns. "We all want the same thing; to build on Andy's amazing achievements and ensure his success delivers a thriving legacy," Lloyd said. "We have had some very exciting conversations with Andy's team and (his mother) Judy around, in particular, how we might go about developing a schools programme. We have equally acknowledged that Andy to date has had to focus on his career. "As Andy mentioned, to really get children into our sport at the earliest possible age, and through a schools' programme would be fantastic. We are absolutely ready when he is to move something like that forward." Performance director Simon Timson said the LTA was committed to long-term player development as part of a 10-year strategy that includes a new player pathway, a series of grassroots initiatives and the potential "Murray Legacy" schools programme. "We will always welcome Andy's involvement with programmes and players. He is an iconic and inspirational figure – a beacon for what British tennis players can achieve," Timson said. "The first five years, we wanted to support five new British players to break into the world's top 100. Katie Boulter (ranked 97) has already done it. We want to help four more get there by 2023."

LTA keen to work with Andy Murray to develop British tennis

Andy Murray has criticised Britain's Lawn Tennis Association for failing to build on his success and grow the game over the last decade.

Three-times Grand Slam champion Murray <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/andy-murray-out-of-australian-open-after-five-set-thriller-190245">went out of the Australian Open</a> in the first round on Monday, and said the match could be the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-andy-murray-breaks-down-at-press-conference-as-he-announces-intention-to-retire-189518">last of his professional career</a> due to pain in his right hip.

The 31-year-old Scot has been hailed as one of Britain's greatest sportsmen, a double Olympic gold medallist who in 2013 also became the first British man to win a Wimbledon singles title in 77 years.

"I'm not sure Britain has really capitalised on the last seven or eight years of success we've had," the BBC quoted the former world number one as saying.

"Whether it be myself, my brother, Jo (Konta), Kyle (Edmund), the Davis Cup, those sorts of things, I'm not sure how much we've done there," added Murray, who has been critical of the LTA in the past.

"Maybe it's something I should have given more thought to while I was playing but I never felt that was my job to do that."

Murray said he could not understand how the number of people playing tennis had dropped over the past decade despite unprecedented success.

"I know in Scotland that there have not been many indoor courts built in the last 10 years. That seems madness. I don't understand why that is. You need to get kids playing; you need to have the facilities that allow them to do that," he said.

Older brother Jamie echoed the concern to British media as he prepared to start his Australian Open doubles campaign on Thursday.

"My greatest worry was that he would stop one day... and you would look around the country and there wouldn't be much to show for it. And if you go around the country you probably see that," he said.

"And that is sad because how on earth are you going to grow a sport if you can't do it when you've got one of the biggest stars in tennis for the last 10 years, and one of Britain's most prominent sportspeople?".

Andy Murray has criticised Britain's Lawn Tennis Association for failing to build on his success and grow the game over the last decade. Three-times Grand Slam champion Murray went out of the Australian Open in the first round on Monday, and said the match could be the last of his professional career due to pain in his right hip.

Andy Murray has criticised Britain's Lawn Tennis Association for failing to build on his success and grow the game over the last decade. Three-times Grand Slam champion Murray went out of the Australian Open in the first round on Monday, and said the match could be the last of his professional career due to pain in his right hip. The 31-year-old Scot has been hailed as one of Britain's greatest sportsmen, a double Olympic gold medallist who in 2013 also became the first British man to win a Wimbledon singles title in 77 years. "I'm not sure Britain has really capitalised on the last seven or eight years of success we've had," the BBC quoted the former world number one as saying. "Whether it be myself, my brother, Jo (Konta), Kyle (Edmund), the Davis Cup, those sorts of things, I'm not sure how much we've done there," added Murray, who has been critical of the LTA in the past. "Maybe it's something I should have given more thought to while I was playing but I never felt that was my job to do that." Murray said he could not understand how the number of people playing tennis had dropped over the past decade despite unprecedented success. "I know in Scotland that there have not been many indoor courts built in the last 10 years. That seems madness. I don't understand why that is. You need to get kids playing; you need to have the facilities that allow them to do that," he said. Older brother Jamie echoed the concern to British media as he prepared to start his Australian Open doubles campaign on Thursday. "My greatest worry was that he would stop one day... and you would look around the country and there wouldn't be much to show for it. And if you go around the country you probably see that," he said. "And that is sad because how on earth are you going to grow a sport if you can't do it when you've got one of the biggest stars in tennis for the last 10 years, and one of Britain's most prominent sportspeople?".

Andy Murray criticises LTA for failing to make the most of his success

By Francesca Cavallerio

Two things struck me while watching Andy Murray’s press conference from the Australian Open, in which he announced his intention to retire. He spoke about the pain he had lived with “over the past 20 months or so”, and how he had planned to continue until Wimbledon this summer but was no longer sure he could. Then there was a long pause, that lump in the throat before he was able to utter the words “stop playing”.

My first question was: “Why not sooner?” Why would someone put himself through such suffering for such a long time, despite knowing that the consequences of this overuse of his body would haunt him for the rest of his life? Why not stop before? And my second question was: “Will he be OK after retiring?”

Scrolling through the numerous tweets from tennis celebrities on the subject, I found one regret kept appearing over and over again: “Sorry you cannot retire on your own terms.” Not only is retirement considered a tough process for athletes, but research has confirmed that retirement due to injury is especially difficult. The athlete is forced into the decision of abandoning their life, not because of lack of motivation but because their body has given up.

The question is whether there is a way to avoid this. Should we just accept that elite sport is bad for the body, and not just in the long term, but more and more often in the short term? Like many retiring athletes, Andy Murray is only in his early thirties and has suffered painful injuries throughout his career. What is it that makes it OK to be in severe pain for 20 months and keep playing?

Sport sociologists have identified that what is known as a culture of risk dominates the professional sport. Its ethical values of sacrifice, striving for greatness, taking chances, rejecting limits and playing through pain are reflected in the way pain is portrayed as normal and risks are glorified. In particular, injury and pain are seen as a constant fixture in a competitor’s life, and they are not a “real athlete” if they do not train and play through these problems.

Although warm and encouraging, many tweets directed to Murray highlighted this tendency to glorify risk and pain, such as “everyone wants you to keep fighting” or “stay strong and keep fighting”, “continue to keep fighting on the court”. Wasn’t fighting for 20 months enough?

This culture encourages athletes not to listen to and take care of their bodies, something that perhaps Murray has now realised. When discussing the hip surgery he is considering, he said: “The reason for having an operation is not to return to the professional sport, it’s just for a better quality of life.” At 31, Murray still has a lot of life to live. As 12-time grand slam champion Billie Jean King put it: “[His] greatest impact on the world may be yet to come.”

Yet if you believe in the idea that “sport is life and life is sport”, it becomes difficult to imagine how Murray will ever be happy and fully satisfied again. The dominant culture makes it very difficult for athletes to say goodbye to their sport and move onto something new.

A developing branch of sport psychology that focuses on the narratives that we use to talk and think about sport might help understand this process, the bumps in the road and potential ways to reach a happy ending. According to this narrative research, humans are “storied beings”, which means that they make sense of their lives through creating and sharing their personal stories. Stories have a plot, and narrative researchers argue that each culture has a shared number of plots (narratives) that we use to understand and inform their lives.

The most common – and encouraged – narrative in elite sport is the performance narrative, which runs along the lines of: “I love my sport. My sport is everything in my life. Nothing is more important than my sport and succeeding in it.” Not surprisingly, this narrative means that to be successful an athlete needs to be single-minded and focused on their sport to the exclusion of other areas of life.

Changing the narrative

As a result, things then become much more difficult for athletes once the professional chapter of the story ends. My own research with retired elite gymnasts highlights how athletes who fall under a performance narrative while at the top of their game, end up with a much more confused personal story, an entangled narrative, once they retire. The plot of their story is: “I was a successful gymnast. I am not a gymnast anymore. I want to be a gymnast again.” Because other areas of their lives aren’t developed, they fix a melancholic gaze on the past, unable to refocus on, enjoy or develop from present experiences.

But it doesn’t have to be like this. Other narratives allow athletes to step away from the classic expectations of the culture of risk, and allow them to develop more successfully towards their happy-ever-after. For example, the discovery narrative involves developing other identities outside of the sport.

Thankfully, Murray has already started to do this, becoming a father, as well as an inspirational role model and feminist. Hopefully, these roles will help him get through the reinvention of his story and further inspire the next generation of athletes.

(Francesca Cavallerio is Lecturer in Sport Psychology, Anglia Ruskin University)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/andy-murray-breaking-away-from-sports-no-pain-no-gain-culture-109824">original article)</a>

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

By Francesca Cavallerio Two things struck me while watching Andy Murray’s press conference from the Australian Open, in which he announced his intention to retire.

By Francesca Cavallerio Two things struck me while watching Andy Murray’s press conference from the Australian Open, in which he announced his intention to retire. He spoke about the pain he had lived with “over the past 20 months or so”, and how he had planned to continue until Wimbledon this summer but was no longer sure he could. Then there was a long pause, that lump in the throat before he was able to utter the words “stop playing”. My first question was: “Why not sooner?” Why would someone put himself through such suffering for such a long time, despite knowing that the consequences of this overuse of his body would haunt him for the rest of his life? Why not stop before? And my second question was: “Will he be OK after retiring?” Scrolling through the numerous tweets from tennis celebrities on the subject, I found one regret kept appearing over and over again: “Sorry you cannot retire on your own terms.” Not only is retirement considered a tough process for athletes, but research has confirmed that retirement due to injury is especially difficult. The athlete is forced into the decision of abandoning their life, not because of lack of motivation but because their body has given up. The question is whether there is a way to avoid this. Should we just accept that elite sport is bad for the body, and not just in the long term, but more and more often in the short term? Like many retiring athletes, Andy Murray is only in his early thirties and has suffered painful injuries throughout his career. What is it that makes it OK to be in severe pain for 20 months and keep playing? Sport sociologists have identified that what is known as a culture of risk dominates the professional sport. Its ethical values of sacrifice, striving for greatness, taking chances, rejecting limits and playing through pain are reflected in the way pain is portrayed as normal and risks are glorified. In particular, injury and pain are seen as a constant fixture in a competitor’s life, and they are not a “real athlete” if they do not train and play through these problems. Although warm and encouraging, many tweets directed to Murray highlighted this tendency to glorify risk and pain, such as “everyone wants you to keep fighting” or “stay strong and keep fighting”, “continue to keep fighting on the court”. Wasn’t fighting for 20 months enough? This culture encourages athletes not to listen to and take care of their bodies, something that perhaps Murray has now realised. When discussing the hip surgery he is considering, he said: “The reason for having an operation is not to return to the professional sport, it’s just for a better quality of life.” At 31, Murray still has a lot of life to live. As 12-time grand slam champion Billie Jean King put it: “[His] greatest impact on the world may be yet to come.” Yet if you believe in the idea that “sport is life and life is sport”, it becomes difficult to imagine how Murray will ever be happy and fully satisfied again. The dominant culture makes it very difficult for athletes to say goodbye to their sport and move onto something new. A developing branch of sport psychology that focuses on the narratives that we use to talk and think about sport might help understand this process, the bumps in the road and potential ways to reach a happy ending. According to this narrative research, humans are “storied beings”, which means that they make sense of their lives through creating and sharing their personal stories. Stories have a plot, and narrative researchers argue that each culture has a shared number of plots (narratives) that we use to understand and inform their lives. The most common – and encouraged – narrative in elite sport is the performance narrative, which runs along the lines of: “I love my sport. My sport is everything in my life. Nothing is more important than my sport and succeeding in it.” Not surprisingly, this narrative means that to be successful an athlete needs to be single-minded and focused on their sport to the exclusion of other areas of life. Changing the narrative As a result, things then become much more difficult for athletes once the professional chapter of the story ends. My own research with retired elite gymnasts highlights how athletes who fall under a performance narrative while at the top of their game, end up with a much more confused personal story, an entangled narrative, once they retire. The plot of their story is: “I was a successful gymnast. I am not a gymnast anymore. I want to be a gymnast again.” Because other areas of their lives aren’t developed, they fix a melancholic gaze on the past, unable to refocus on, enjoy or develop from present experiences. But it doesn’t have to be like this. Other narratives allow athletes to step away from the classic expectations of the culture of risk, and allow them to develop more successfully towards their happy-ever-after. For example, the discovery narrative involves developing other identities outside of the sport. Thankfully, Murray has already started to do this, becoming a father, as well as an inspirational role model and feminist. Hopefully, these roles will help him get through the reinvention of his story and further inspire the next generation of athletes. (Francesca Cavallerio is Lecturer in Sport Psychology, Anglia Ruskin University) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Andy Murray: Breaking away from sport’s ‘no pain, no gain’ culture

Andy Murray said he would make a decision on further surgery that could end his career "within a week" after battling to a gutsy, epic five-set defeat in the Australian Open on Monday.&nbsp;

The Scot <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/andy-murray-out-of-australian-open-after-five-set-thriller-190245">fought to the very end before losing</a> his Melbourne first-round match 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-7 (4/7), 6-2&nbsp;to Roberto Bautista Agut.

Murray, who has said he will retire this season because of chronic hip pain, seemed finished at two sets and a break down to the 22nd seeded Spaniard in the first round but somehow battled back to force a fifth set.

"Amazing. That was incredible, thank you so, so much to everyone that came out tonight," the three-time Grand Slam champion said after being swept along on a wave of vociferous support.

Murray announced at an emotional press conference on Friday that he would retire at Wimbledon this year, but conceded Monday's clash could well be his last match as he will soon need a further major operation on his damaged right hip.

"I have basically like two options," he told reporters. "One is to take the next four-and-a-half months off, then build up, you know, play Wimbledon.

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<h5>"Honestly I've loved playing here over the years. If this was my last match, an amazing way to end. I gave everything I had and it wasn't enough tonight" - Andy Murray</h5>
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'I'm really struggling'

"I mean, I'm really struggling. I can't walk properly at all just now. I could play another match, but ... I want to improve my quality of life, because even if I take four months, I still can't walk.

"But having an operation like that, there's absolutely no guarantees I'd be able to play again. I'm fully aware of that. It's a really big operation.&nbsp;

"I'll probably decide in the next week or so."

Murray had entered a raucous Melbourne Arena to a huge ovation as Scottish Saltires and British Union flags were flown while one banner proclaimed: "There will only ever be one Andy Murray".

The rollicking support lifted him and despite frequently grimacing with pain he moved relatively freely as the Spaniard took the opening set in 50 minutes.

The in-form Bautista Agut had beaten world number one Novak Djokovic on his way to winning the Qatar Open at the start of the month and quickly took the second.

Bautista Agut broke for 2-1 in the third and just as the end looked like it would come quickly, Murray had the crowd, including mum Judy and brother Jamie, back on their feet after a winner down the line to break back.&nbsp;

"Right, let's go," Murray shouted and held to love with an searing ace to nudge ahead 3-2 before forcing a tiebreak which he took 7-5 with a scream of "come on" and a huge fist pump.&nbsp;

Suddenly the comeback was on.

The fourth set went with serve and Murray again proved the tie-break master on the fourth of his five set points -- but not before being interrupted as he served to stay in the match at 5-6 by fireworks going off at the nearby Melbourne Cricket Ground.

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<h5>"Maybe I'll see you again" - Andy Murray</h5>
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'An incredible night'

Once Bautista Agut broke in the fifth, Murray's resolve finally crumbled and the Spaniard took it 6-2. He will face unseeded Australian John Millman in the second round.

"That was an incredible night," said Bautista Agut.&nbsp;

"Andy deserves this atmosphere. He gave everything to the last point. I want to congratulate him for all he did for tennis."

Murray was then shown a big screen tribute from a whole phalanx of top players, including Roger Federer, Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Caroline Wozniacki and Sloane Stephens.

"I've been very fortunate -- and unlucky -- to compete in an era with all those great players around" Murray said.

"To have the respect of your peers is a very special thing."

Andy Murray said he would make a decision on further surgery that could end his career "within a week" after battling to a gutsy, epic five-set defeat in the Australian Open on Monday.

Andy Murray said he would make a decision on further surgery that could end his career "within a week" after battling to a gutsy, epic five-set defeat in the Australian Open on Monday. The Scot fought to the very end before losing his Melbourne first-round match 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-7 (4/7), 6-2 to Roberto Bautista Agut. Murray, who has said he will retire this season because of chronic hip pain, seemed finished at two sets and a break down to the 22nd seeded Spaniard in the first round but somehow battled back to force a fifth set. "Amazing. That was incredible, thank you so, so much to everyone that came out tonight," the three-time Grand Slam champion said after being swept along on a wave of vociferous support. Murray announced at an emotional press conference on Friday that he would retire at Wimbledon this year, but conceded Monday's clash could well be his last match as he will soon need a further major operation on his damaged right hip. "I have basically like two options," he told reporters. "One is to take the next four-and-a-half months off, then build up, you know, play Wimbledon. "Honestly I've loved playing here over the years. If this was my last match, an amazing way to end. I gave everything I had and it wasn't enough tonight" - Andy Murray × 'I'm really struggling' "I mean, I'm really struggling. I can't walk properly at all just now. I could play another match, but ... I want to improve my quality of life, because even if I take four months, I still can't walk. "But having an operation like that, there's absolutely no guarantees I'd be able to play again. I'm fully aware of that. It's a really big operation. "I'll probably decide in the next week or so." Murray had entered a raucous Melbourne Arena to a huge ovation as Scottish Saltires and British Union flags were flown while one banner proclaimed: "There will only ever be one Andy Murray". The rollicking support lifted him and despite frequently grimacing with pain he moved relatively freely as the Spaniard took the opening set in 50 minutes. The in-form Bautista Agut had beaten world number one Novak Djokovic on his way to winning the Qatar Open at the start of the month and quickly took the second. Bautista Agut broke for 2-1 in the third and just as the end looked like it would come quickly, Murray had the crowd, including mum Judy and brother Jamie, back on their feet after a winner down the line to break back. "Right, let's go," Murray shouted and held to love with an searing ace to nudge ahead 3-2 before forcing a tiebreak which he took 7-5 with a scream of "come on" and a huge fist pump. Suddenly the comeback was on. The fourth set went with serve and Murray again proved the tie-break master on the fourth of his five set points -- but not before being interrupted as he served to stay in the match at 5-6 by fireworks going off at the nearby Melbourne Cricket Ground. "Maybe I'll see you again" - Andy Murray × 'An incredible night' Once Bautista Agut broke in the fifth, Murray's resolve finally crumbled and the Spaniard took it 6-2. He will face unseeded Australian John Millman in the second round. "That was an incredible night," said Bautista Agut. "Andy deserves this atmosphere. He gave everything to the last point. I want to congratulate him for all he did for tennis." Murray was then shown a big screen tribute from a whole phalanx of top players, including Roger Federer, Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Caroline Wozniacki and Sloane Stephens. "I've been very fortunate -- and unlucky -- to compete in an era with all those great players around" Murray said. "To have the respect of your peers is a very special thing."

Andy Murray to make career decision 'in next week' after Australian Open exit

Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray is likely to be honoured with a statue at the historic Grand Slam venue, the All England Club's chief executive told the BBC.&nbsp;

The 31-year-old Scot - who won the grasscourt Grand Slam in 2013 and 2016 - announced last Friday retirement was on the cards due to a chronic hip injury.

He then choked back tears and broke down as he revealed he hoped to end his career at Wimbledon, but admitted the Australian Open which began Monday could be his last event because the constant pain was so bad.

Richard Lewis, chief executive of the All England Club, said Murray could well be honoured in the same manner as fellow Briton and multiple Wimbledon men's singles champion Fred Perry.

Perry - who won three successive Wimbledon titles from 1934-36 - had a statue unveiled in 1984.

"We always felt that when Andy retired, that would be the appropriate time to recognise his extraordinary career," said Lewis.

"I am sure something like (a statue) will be done, but meanwhile down at the club he is seen as a highly-respected person both on and off the court."

Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray is likely to be honoured with a statue at the historic Grand Slam venue, the All England Club's chief executive told the BBC.

Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray is likely to be honoured with a statue at the historic Grand Slam venue, the All England Club's chief executive told the BBC. The 31-year-old Scot - who won the grasscourt Grand Slam in 2013 and 2016 - announced last Friday retirement was on the cards due to a chronic hip injury. He then choked back tears and broke down as he revealed he hoped to end his career at Wimbledon, but admitted the Australian Open which began Monday could be his last event because the constant pain was so bad. Richard Lewis, chief executive of the All England Club, said Murray could well be honoured in the same manner as fellow Briton and multiple Wimbledon men's singles champion Fred Perry. Perry - who won three successive Wimbledon titles from 1934-36 - had a statue unveiled in 1984. "We always felt that when Andy retired, that would be the appropriate time to recognise his extraordinary career," said Lewis. "I am sure something like (a statue) will be done, but meanwhile down at the club he is seen as a highly-respected person both on and off the court."

Andy Murray likely to have statue erected: Wimbledon CEO

Britain's Andy Murray lost Monday to Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut in the first round of the Australian Open.

Murray had seemed down and out at two sets and a break down to the 22nd-seeded Spaniard but he fought back with all he had to take the game to five sets. That&nbsp;however was as far as he could take it.&nbsp;

He finally lost 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (4-7), 6-2.&nbsp;

"Amazing. That was incredible, thank you so so much to everyone that came out tonight," Murray said after the game.&nbsp;

"Maybe I'll see you again."

Murray had said before the tournament that he will be retiring after Wimbledon this year. But that the constant pain in his hip may allow him to go no further than the Australian Open.&nbsp;

"I'll do everything possible to try. If I want to go again I'll need to have a big operation which there's no guarantees I'll come back from. But I'll give it my best shot," Murray said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"Honestly I've loved playing here over the years. If this was my last match, an amazing way to end. I gave everything I had and it wasn't enough tonight."&nbsp;

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In his last <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> match, Andy Murray fights incredibly hard to comeback from two sets down in extreme pain but falls just short. 
 
Roberto Bautista Agut wins 4-6 4-6 7-6(5) 7-6(4) 2-6. <a href="https://t.co/CoiObtKQue">pic.twitter.com/CoiObtKQue</a>
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) <a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/1084783634941239296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
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He went out in the most Andy Murray way possible. 
 
Fighting until the end 🙏<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> <a href="https://t.co/aI28iEJ64T">pic.twitter.com/aI28iEJ64T</a>
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) <a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/1084792440869908485?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The audience gave Murray a standing ovation before he started serving in the fifth set.

And an emotional tribute to him from the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and&nbsp;Novak Djokovic was played out on a big screen after the match.&nbsp;

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An amazing tennis player. 
 
But an even better person. 
 
Thank you, <a href="https://twitter.com/andy_murray?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@andy_murray</a> 👏<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> <a href="https://t.co/uRPBLC2zY6">pic.twitter.com/uRPBLC2zY6</a>
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) <a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/1084789880360554496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Bautista Agut will face the unseeded John Millman of Australia in the second round of the tournament.&nbsp;

Britain's Andy Murray lost Monday to Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut in the first round of the Australian Open. Murray had seemed down and out at two sets and a break down to the 22nd-seeded Spaniard but he fought back with all he had to take the game to five sets.

Britain's Andy Murray lost Monday to Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut in the first round of the Australian Open. Murray had seemed down and out at two sets and a break down to the 22nd-seeded Spaniard but he fought back with all he had to take the game to five sets. That however was as far as he could take it. He finally lost 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (4-7), 6-2. "Amazing. That was incredible, thank you so so much to everyone that came out tonight," Murray said after the game. "Maybe I'll see you again." Murray had said before the tournament that he will be retiring after Wimbledon this year. But that the constant pain in his hip may allow him to go no further than the Australian Open. "I'll do everything possible to try. If I want to go again I'll need to have a big operation which there's no guarantees I'll come back from. But I'll give it my best shot," Murray said. "Honestly I've loved playing here over the years. If this was my last match, an amazing way to end. I gave everything I had and it wasn't enough tonight." In his last #AusOpen match, Andy Murray fights incredibly hard to comeback from two sets down in extreme pain but falls just short. Roberto Bautista Agut wins 4-6 4-6 7-6(5) 7-6(4) 2-6. pic.twitter.com/CoiObtKQue — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 14, 2019 × He went out in the most Andy Murray way possible. Fighting until the end 🙏#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/aI28iEJ64T — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 14, 2019 × The audience gave Murray a standing ovation before he started serving in the fifth set. And an emotional tribute to him from the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic was played out on a big screen after the match. An amazing tennis player. But an even better person. Thank you, @andy_murray 👏#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/uRPBLC2zY6 — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 14, 2019 × Bautista Agut will face the unseeded John Millman of Australia in the second round of the tournament.

His last game? Andy Murray out of Australian Open after five-set thriller

Serena Williams, Andy Murray, heat and tiebreaks, here's a list of talking points at Australian Open 2019

Swiss tennis star Roger Federer said was shocked to hear that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-andy-murray-breaks-down-at-press-conference-as-he-announces-intention-to-retire-189518">Andy Murray might end his career</a> after this year's Australian Open, due to a long-standing hip condition which has been hampering the British player's career for the last two years.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-star-andy-murray-to-retire-this-year-due-to-injury-189468">Emotional&nbsp;Murray revealed</a> that he hoped to end his storied career at Wimbledon, but admitted the Australian Open may be his last event because the constant pain was so bad.

"I was disappointed and sad, a little bit shocked, to know now that we're going to lose him at some point. But we're going to lose everybody at some point," Federer said while speaking at a press conference.&nbsp;

He added, "We are going to lose everybody at some point. It's just now that it's definite."

He wished Murray for the first Grand Slam of the year, which will start from Monday, saying: "I hope that he can play a good Australian Open and he can keep playing beyond that, really finish the way he wants to at Wimbledon. That's what I hope for him."

On Murray's retirement decision, Federer said, "He's a great guy. It's a tough one, but one down the road he can look back on and be incredibly proud of everything he has achieved."&nbsp;

"Of course, it hits us, top guys, hard because we know Andy very well. We like him. He doesn't have many enemies, to be quite honest," the world number three said of the three-time Grand Slam champion and double Olympic gold medal winner.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Murray was the first British man to win Wimbledon in 77 years&nbsp;and will be remembered for battling his way to world number one in 2016 during a golden era for men's tennis alongside Federer, Djokovic and Nadal.&nbsp;

Defending champion hopes to put himself "in contention" for another title run at the 2019 Australian Open as he prepares to face Denis Istomin in the first round on Monday.&nbsp;

Swiss tennis star Roger Federer said was shocked to hear that Andy Murray might end his career after this year's Australian Open, due to a long-standing hip condition which has been hampering the British player's career for the last two years.

Swiss tennis star Roger Federer said was shocked to hear that Andy Murray might end his career after this year's Australian Open, due to a long-standing hip condition which has been hampering the British player's career for the last two years. Emotional Murray revealed that he hoped to end his storied career at Wimbledon, but admitted the Australian Open may be his last event because the constant pain was so bad. "I was disappointed and sad, a little bit shocked, to know now that we're going to lose him at some point. But we're going to lose everybody at some point," Federer said while speaking at a press conference. He added, "We are going to lose everybody at some point. It's just now that it's definite." He wished Murray for the first Grand Slam of the year, which will start from Monday, saying: "I hope that he can play a good Australian Open and he can keep playing beyond that, really finish the way he wants to at Wimbledon. That's what I hope for him." On Murray's retirement decision, Federer said, "He's a great guy. It's a tough one, but one down the road he can look back on and be incredibly proud of everything he has achieved." "Of course, it hits us, top guys, hard because we know Andy very well. We like him. He doesn't have many enemies, to be quite honest," the world number three said of the three-time Grand Slam champion and double Olympic gold medal winner. Murray was the first British man to win Wimbledon in 77 years and will be remembered for battling his way to world number one in 2016 during a golden era for men's tennis alongside Federer, Djokovic and Nadal. Defending champion hopes to put himself "in contention" for another title run at the 2019 Australian Open as he prepares to face Denis Istomin in the first round on Monday.

Roger Federer looks ahead to Australian Open, comments on Andy Murray's intention to retire

World number one Novak Djokovic shared his thought on Andy Murray's confession that the forthcoming Australian Open might be the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-andy-murray-breaks-down-at-press-conference-as-he-announces-intention-to-retire-189518">final event of his career</a>.&nbsp;

Djokovic said, "it's quite a shocker for me, honestly because we're the same age, same generation. It's kind of sad to see what he's been going through in the last couple of years with these injuries."

Talking about Murray's injuries, Novak said, "As someone who has been through a major injury with my elbow in the last couple of years, I can definitely empathize with him and relate to what he's going through. Obviously, probably the extent of his injury is even worse than mine, hips and he had a back surgery and so forth."

The 31-year-old Djokovic paid tribute to his long-time rival Murray while speaking at a press conference ahead of this year's first Grand Slam, Australian Open.&nbsp;

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The Serbian tennis star said, "He's a great champion, he's a friend of mine that I grew up with, ever since we were 11, 12 years old we've known each other."

"We've been rivals and we've played some epic matches all over the world so it's kind of sad to know he might play his last Australian Open but I do wish him all the best," he added.

World number one Novak Djokovic shared his thought on Andy Murray's confession that the forthcoming Australian Open might be the final event of his career. Djokovic said, "it's quite a shocker for me, honestly because we're the same age, same generation.

World number one Novak Djokovic shared his thought on Andy Murray's confession that the forthcoming Australian Open might be the final event of his career. Djokovic said, "it's quite a shocker for me, honestly because we're the same age, same generation. It's kind of sad to see what he's been going through in the last couple of years with these injuries." Talking about Murray's injuries, Novak said, "As someone who has been through a major injury with my elbow in the last couple of years, I can definitely empathize with him and relate to what he's going through. Obviously, probably the extent of his injury is even worse than mine, hips and he had a back surgery and so forth." The 31-year-old Djokovic paid tribute to his long-time rival Murray while speaking at a press conference ahead of this year's first Grand Slam, Australian Open. × The Serbian tennis star said, "He's a great champion, he's a friend of mine that I grew up with, ever since we were 11, 12 years old we've known each other." "We've been rivals and we've played some epic matches all over the world so it's kind of sad to know he might play his last Australian Open but I do wish him all the best," he added.

Andy Murray's retirement decision 'a shocker' for Novak Djokovic

Andy Murray will be retiring this year <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/andy-murrays-comeback-halted-by-medvedev-in-brisbane-second-round-187926">because of the severe pain from his</a> troublesome right hip with next week's Australian Open potentially his last tournament as a professional, the former world number one said on Friday.

Five-times a runner up at<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/andy-murray-ends-season-after-defeat-verdasco-shenzhen-168392"> Melbourne Park, Murray had surgery</a> on the joint a year ago and has been unable to recover his best form.

Overcome with emotion and struggling to hold back tears, the 31-year-old three-times Grand Slam champion told reporters that he had hoped to play until at least this year's Wimbledon tournament.

But he felt the Australian Open might end up being his swansong, given the pain from his hip had become almost unbearable.

"Yeah, I think there's a chance of that, yeah for sure," the Scot said.

"The pain is too much, really ... I'm not sure I'm able to play through the pain for another four or five months."

"The pain is not allowing me to enjoy competing or training or any of the stuff I love about tennis."

Murray said he was mulling another round of major hip surgery but added that it was more aimed at improving his "quality of life" and it might not mean an eventual return to the tour.

"I have an option to have another operation which is a little bit more kind of severe than what I've had before, having my hip resurfaced which would allow me to have a better quality of life," he said.

"That's something I'm seriously considering right now ... Some athletes have had that and gone back to competing but there's obviously no guarantees."

He said basic things in everyday life, like putting on socks and shoes, caused him severe pain and he had grown weary of talking about his hip in every conversation.

Murray, who visibly struggled in a 6-1 4-1 practice match defeat to top seed Novak Djokovic at Melbourne Park on Thursday, has been drawn to play 22nd seeded Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut in the first round on Monday.

"I'm going to play, I can still play to a level, not a level that I'm happy playing at," he said.

Andy Murray will be retiring this year because of the severe pain from his troublesome right hip with next week's Australian Open potentially his last tournament as a professional, the former world number one said on Friday.

Andy Murray will be retiring this year because of the severe pain from his troublesome right hip with next week's Australian Open potentially his last tournament as a professional, the former world number one said on Friday. Five-times a runner up at Melbourne Park, Murray had surgery on the joint a year ago and has been unable to recover his best form. Overcome with emotion and struggling to hold back tears, the 31-year-old three-times Grand Slam champion told reporters that he had hoped to play until at least this year's Wimbledon tournament. But he felt the Australian Open might end up being his swansong, given the pain from his hip had become almost unbearable. "Yeah, I think there's a chance of that, yeah for sure," the Scot said. "The pain is too much, really ... I'm not sure I'm able to play through the pain for another four or five months." "The pain is not allowing me to enjoy competing or training or any of the stuff I love about tennis." Murray said he was mulling another round of major hip surgery but added that it was more aimed at improving his "quality of life" and it might not mean an eventual return to the tour. "I have an option to have another operation which is a little bit more kind of severe than what I've had before, having my hip resurfaced which would allow me to have a better quality of life," he said. "That's something I'm seriously considering right now ... Some athletes have had that and gone back to competing but there's obviously no guarantees." He said basic things in everyday life, like putting on socks and shoes, caused him severe pain and he had grown weary of talking about his hip in every conversation. Murray, who visibly struggled in a 6-1 4-1 practice match defeat to top seed Novak Djokovic at Melbourne Park on Thursday, has been drawn to play 22nd seeded Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut in the first round on Monday. "I'm going to play, I can still play to a level, not a level that I'm happy playing at," he said.

Tennis star Andy Murray to retire this year due to injury

An emotional British tennis player <a href="http://www.wionews.com/search?q=andy+murray">Andy Murray</a> said that he <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-star-andy-murray-to-retire-this-year-due-to-injury-189468">plans to retire</a> after this year's Australian Open as the former world number one continues to be plagued by injuries.&nbsp;

Murray, who has been struggling to recover from hip surgery a year ago, was in tears at a press conference in Melbourne ahead of the this year's first grand slam, Australian Open.&nbsp;

The 31-year-old was on the verge of tears as he entered the press conference room and, asked how his hip was feeling, managed to say "not great" before being overcome by his emotions and having to leave the room.&nbsp;

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An emotional Andy Murray says he will play <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> and hopes to play the final tournament of his career at <a href="https://twitter.com/Wimbledon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Wimbledon</a>. 
 
"Not feeling good. Been struggling for a long time...I'm not sure I can play through the pain for another four or five months." <a href="https://t.co/g4sLpuiyF4">pic.twitter.com/g4sLpuiyF4</a>
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Speaking at a press conference, Andy Murray said: "Not feeling good, obviously been struggling for a long time, I've been in a lot of pain for what has been probably 20 months now, I've pretty much-done everything that I could to try to get my hip feeling better, hasn't helped loads. I'm in a better place than I was six months ago, but still in a lot of pain, it's been tough." 

On being asked if Australian Open is his last tournament, Murray said, "I think there's a chance for that, for sure. There's a chance of that for sure because like I said I'm not sure I'm able to play through the pain for another four or five months." &nbsp;

"The pain is kind of the driving factor. I can play with limitations; that's not an issue. It's having the limitations and also the pain is not allowing me to enjoy competing or training or any of the stuff that I love about tennis," added Murray.

Murray will contest his first-round match against Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut on Monday but that may prove to be the final match of his illustrious career.&nbsp;

An emotional British tennis player Andy Murray said that he plans to retire after this year's Australian Open as the former world number one continues to be plagued by injuries.

An emotional British tennis player Andy Murray said that he plans to retire after this year's Australian Open as the former world number one continues to be plagued by injuries. Murray, who has been struggling to recover from hip surgery a year ago, was in tears at a press conference in Melbourne ahead of the this year's first grand slam, Australian Open. The 31-year-old was on the verge of tears as he entered the press conference room and, asked how his hip was feeling, managed to say "not great" before being overcome by his emotions and having to leave the room. An emotional Andy Murray says he will play #AusOpen and hopes to play the final tournament of his career at @Wimbledon. "Not feeling good. Been struggling for a long time...I'm not sure I can play through the pain for another four or five months." pic.twitter.com/g4sLpuiyF4 — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 11, 2019 × Speaking at a press conference, Andy Murray said: "Not feeling good, obviously been struggling for a long time, I've been in a lot of pain for what has been probably 20 months now, I've pretty much-done everything that I could to try to get my hip feeling better, hasn't helped loads. I'm in a better place than I was six months ago, but still in a lot of pain, it's been tough."  On being asked if Australian Open is his last tournament, Murray said, "I think there's a chance for that, for sure. There's a chance of that for sure because like I said I'm not sure I'm able to play through the pain for another four or five months."  "The pain is kind of the driving factor. I can play with limitations; that's not an issue. It's having the limitations and also the pain is not allowing me to enjoy competing or training or any of the stuff that I love about tennis," added Murray. Murray will contest his first-round match against Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut on Monday but that may prove to be the final match of his illustrious career.

Watch: Andy Murray breaks down at press conference as he announces intention to retire

Andy Murray to retire this year due to pain from surgically repaired hip

Andy Murray's latest comeback from a persistent hip issue ended prematurely on Wednesday when he was beaten 7-5 6-2 by Russia's Daniil Medvedev in the second round of the Brisbane International.

Murray cut short his season last September after suffering pain in his hip following surgery earlier in the year that ruled him out of three of the four Grand Slam tournaments.

The 31-year-old had defeated local hope James Duckworth in his season opener on Tuesday but was comprehensively beaten by fourth seed Medvedev who fired 16 aces and lost only seven of his first-service points in the contest.

"I think he served extremely well, I didn't really get many chances on his&nbsp; 
service games," Murray, who won the tournament in both of his previous appearances in 2012 and 2013, said.

"And then on my own service games I made too many errors in the rallies, especially early on I was trying to play a little bit more offensive. In the second set, I made too many mistakes.

"I think when you play better players... they will expose any errors that you make in your game or any shots that you`re not hitting particularly well. And he did that tonight."

Medvedev next faces Canada's Milos Raonic who eased past Serbian qualifier Miomir Kecmanovic 6-3 7-6(2).

The tournament lost another big name when Rafa Nadal pulled out due to a thigh strain, casting doubt on his participation in this month's Australian Open.

Jeremy Chardy rallied to beat holder Nick Kyrgios 6-7(5) 6-2 6-3 to leave Alex De Minaur as the sole Australian man remaining in the draw after the 19-year-old beat Jordan Thompson 6-4 6-2.

Grigor Dimitrov downed local favourite John Millman 6-3 6-4 to set up a quarter-final with Japan`s Kei Nishikori.

In the women's competition, unseeded Anett Kontaveit upset double&nbsp; 
Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova 7-5 7-6(1) before paying tribute to fellow Estonian Kaia Kanepi who had claimed the Brisbane title in 2012.

"We're a really small country. Kaia has led the way for me. She won this tournament a few years ago – she`s shown you can make it in tennis," Kontaveit, ranked 20 in the world, said.

Former champion Karolina Pliskova outclassed Marie Bouzkova 7-5 6-2 to set up a clash with Ajla Tomljanovic who ended the run of Briton Johanna Konta winning 6-2 7-6(2).

Andy Murray's latest comeback from a persistent hip issue ended prematurely on Wednesday when he was beaten 7-5 6-2 by Russia's Daniil Medvedev in the second round of the Brisbane International.

Andy Murray's latest comeback from a persistent hip issue ended prematurely on Wednesday when he was beaten 7-5 6-2 by Russia's Daniil Medvedev in the second round of the Brisbane International. Murray cut short his season last September after suffering pain in his hip following surgery earlier in the year that ruled him out of three of the four Grand Slam tournaments. The 31-year-old had defeated local hope James Duckworth in his season opener on Tuesday but was comprehensively beaten by fourth seed Medvedev who fired 16 aces and lost only seven of his first-service points in the contest. "I think he served extremely well, I didn't really get many chances on his service games," Murray, who won the tournament in both of his previous appearances in 2012 and 2013, said. "And then on my own service games I made too many errors in the rallies, especially early on I was trying to play a little bit more offensive. In the second set, I made too many mistakes. "I think when you play better players... they will expose any errors that you make in your game or any shots that you`re not hitting particularly well. And he did that tonight." Medvedev next faces Canada's Milos Raonic who eased past Serbian qualifier Miomir Kecmanovic 6-3 7-6(2). The tournament lost another big name when Rafa Nadal pulled out due to a thigh strain, casting doubt on his participation in this month's Australian Open. Jeremy Chardy rallied to beat holder Nick Kyrgios 6-7(5) 6-2 6-3 to leave Alex De Minaur as the sole Australian man remaining in the draw after the 19-year-old beat Jordan Thompson 6-4 6-2. Grigor Dimitrov downed local favourite John Millman 6-3 6-4 to set up a quarter-final with Japan`s Kei Nishikori. In the women's competition, unseeded Anett Kontaveit upset double Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova 7-5 7-6(1) before paying tribute to fellow Estonian Kaia Kanepi who had claimed the Brisbane title in 2012. "We're a really small country. Kaia has led the way for me. She won this tournament a few years ago – she`s shown you can make it in tennis," Kontaveit, ranked 20 in the world, said. Former champion Karolina Pliskova outclassed Marie Bouzkova 7-5 6-2 to set up a clash with Ajla Tomljanovic who ended the run of Briton Johanna Konta winning 6-2 7-6(2).

Andy Murray's comeback halted by Medvedev in Brisbane second round

Former world number one Andy Murray made a successful return to competitive tennis on Tuesday with a 6-3,&nbsp;6-4 victory over local favourite James Duckworth at the Brisbane International tournament.

The 31-year-old Murray ended his season early last year after suffering pain in his hip following surgery earlier in 2018 that ruled him out of three of the four Grand Slam events.

Murray, whose ranking has dropped to 240 and was unseeded in Brisbane, had earlier said he was still feeling pain in his hip but was in a "better place" than he was 12 months ago.

"I was a bit nervous. But as the match went on I thought I moved well," Murray told reporters after his 10th successive win in Brisbane, having won the tournament at both his previous appearances in 2012 and 2013.

"It's my first match after a big break. It's not easy to sum up (but) it's been really hard the last 18 months, been a lot of ups and downs trying to get back on court.

"Being back now I am trying to enjoy it as much as I can, for as long as I can because I am not sure how much longer I have got."

Murray returned to the court last June and played just 12 complete matches last year.

As an unseeded player in Brisbane he has a tough draw, with a second-round clash with Russian fourth seed Daniil Medvedev.

Former world number one Andy Murray made a successful return to competitive tennis on Tuesday with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over local favourite James Duckworth at the Brisbane International tournament.

Former world number one Andy Murray made a successful return to competitive tennis on Tuesday with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over local favourite James Duckworth at the Brisbane International tournament. The 31-year-old Murray ended his season early last year after suffering pain in his hip following surgery earlier in 2018 that ruled him out of three of the four Grand Slam events. Murray, whose ranking has dropped to 240 and was unseeded in Brisbane, had earlier said he was still feeling pain in his hip but was in a "better place" than he was 12 months ago. "I was a bit nervous. But as the match went on I thought I moved well," Murray told reporters after his 10th successive win in Brisbane, having won the tournament at both his previous appearances in 2012 and 2013. "It's my first match after a big break. It's not easy to sum up (but) it's been really hard the last 18 months, been a lot of ups and downs trying to get back on court. "Being back now I am trying to enjoy it as much as I can, for as long as I can because I am not sure how much longer I have got." Murray returned to the court last June and played just 12 complete matches last year. As an unseeded player in Brisbane he has a tough draw, with a second-round clash with Russian fourth seed Daniil Medvedev.

Andy Murray makes winning return in Brisbane after hip injury

The last time Novak Djokovic played at the O2 Arena he suffered a chastening defeat at the hands of home hero Andy Murray which confirmed the end of his dominance at the top of the men's game.

His return to the ATP Finals on Monday, after missing the 2017 edition because of an elbow injury, offered conclusive proof that the Serb is once again top dog.

The elastic-limbed 31-year-old, bidding to equal Roger Federer's record of six titles at the ATP's blue-riband event, produced an immaculate display to tame American giant John Isner, who was making his tournament debut, 6-4 6-3.

Already guaranteed to end the year as world number one after winning Wimbledon and the US&nbsp;Open, Djokovic is a massive favourite to complete an incredible resurgence from world number 22 in June with another title in London's docklands.

He will now set his sights on Germany's Alexander Zverev in his second round-robin match after the exciting 21-year-old beat Croatia's Marin Cilic 7-6(5) 7-6(1) to open his account in the Gustavo Kuerten group earlier in the day.

Isner, at 33 the oldest first-timer at the eight-man season-ender since Andres Gimeno made his debut aged 35 in 1972, was not overawed but never managed to lay a glove on Djokovic in the 73-minute contest.

Djokovic lost only four points on his own serve in the first set but what was most worrying for Isner was the way his opponent managed to read his towering delivery, pinging back returns to the baseline with monotonous regularity.

"He's the best returner I've ever faced for sure," Isner said. "Sometimes you got to hope he's a bit off. Unfortunately, I don't think that was the case tonight. I got my ass kicked."

Having failed to convert break points in Isner's opening two service games, Djokovic made no mistake when another chance came along, belting a forehand return for a winner and a 4-2 lead.

KICKING HIMSELF

Isner saved a set point when serving at 3-5 and banged down three consecutive aces to stay in the set but Djokovic calmly held to seize the opener.

The writing was on the wall for Isner when Djokovic broke serve at 3-3 in the second set -- the Serb roaring his approval. Two games later Djokovic sealed victory with a crosscourt backhand winner.

While the O2 Arena has been a happy hunting ground for Djokovic with four of his five ATP Finals titles arriving there, the same cannot be said of four-time qualifier Cilic.

The Croat's defeat by Zverev -- a repeat of his loss to the German 12 months ago -- means he is 1-9 for the tournament.

Cilic would have been kicking himself after allowing a first set that he initially dominated slip from his grasp.

He had points for a 4-0 and 5-1 lead but allowed world number five Zverev to hit back and win the opening set on a tiebreaker, sealing it with a sublime backhand pass.

Breaks of serve were exchanged in the second set before Cilic was required to save a match point at 4-5.

A second tiebreak arrived and just as in the day`s first shootout, it was Zverev who jumped into a lead against an edgy Cilic who double-faulted at 1-4.

Zverev nailed a backhand winner down the line to earn five more match points and converted the first with a powerful first serve that Cilic fenced into the net.

"I was just trying to get myself going, trying to get the energy up. It worked out," Zverev, who vented his anger in the direction of coach Ivan Lendl in the early stages, said.

His task now will be to avoid last year`s let-down when, after beating Cilic on his debut match, he then lost to Roger Federer and Jack Sock to miss out on the semi-finals.

The last time Novak Djokovic played at the O2 Arena he suffered a chastening defeat at the hands of home hero Andy Murray which confirmed the end of his dominance at the top of the men's game.

The last time Novak Djokovic played at the O2 Arena he suffered a chastening defeat at the hands of home hero Andy Murray which confirmed the end of his dominance at the top of the men's game. His return to the ATP Finals on Monday, after missing the 2017 edition because of an elbow injury, offered conclusive proof that the Serb is once again top dog. The elastic-limbed 31-year-old, bidding to equal Roger Federer's record of six titles at the ATP's blue-riband event, produced an immaculate display to tame American giant John Isner, who was making his tournament debut, 6-4 6-3. Already guaranteed to end the year as world number one after winning Wimbledon and the US Open, Djokovic is a massive favourite to complete an incredible resurgence from world number 22 in June with another title in London's docklands. He will now set his sights on Germany's Alexander Zverev in his second round-robin match after the exciting 21-year-old beat Croatia's Marin Cilic 7-6(5) 7-6(1) to open his account in the Gustavo Kuerten group earlier in the day. Isner, at 33 the oldest first-timer at the eight-man season-ender since Andres Gimeno made his debut aged 35 in 1972, was not overawed but never managed to lay a glove on Djokovic in the 73-minute contest. Djokovic lost only four points on his own serve in the first set but what was most worrying for Isner was the way his opponent managed to read his towering delivery, pinging back returns to the baseline with monotonous regularity. "He's the best returner I've ever faced for sure," Isner said. "Sometimes you got to hope he's a bit off. Unfortunately, I don't think that was the case tonight. I got my ass kicked." Having failed to convert break points in Isner's opening two service games, Djokovic made no mistake when another chance came along, belting a forehand return for a winner and a 4-2 lead. KICKING HIMSELF Isner saved a set point when serving at 3-5 and banged down three consecutive aces to stay in the set but Djokovic calmly held to seize the opener. The writing was on the wall for Isner when Djokovic broke serve at 3-3 in the second set -- the Serb roaring his approval. Two games later Djokovic sealed victory with a crosscourt backhand winner. While the O2 Arena has been a happy hunting ground for Djokovic with four of his five ATP Finals titles arriving there, the same cannot be said of four-time qualifier Cilic. The Croat's defeat by Zverev -- a repeat of his loss to the German 12 months ago -- means he is 1-9 for the tournament. Cilic would have been kicking himself after allowing a first set that he initially dominated slip from his grasp. He had points for a 4-0 and 5-1 lead but allowed world number five Zverev to hit back and win the opening set on a tiebreaker, sealing it with a sublime backhand pass. Breaks of serve were exchanged in the second set before Cilic was required to save a match point at 4-5. A second tiebreak arrived and just as in the day`s first shootout, it was Zverev who jumped into a lead against an edgy Cilic who double-faulted at 1-4. Zverev nailed a backhand winner down the line to earn five more match points and converted the first with a powerful first serve that Cilic fenced into the net. "I was just trying to get myself going, trying to get the energy up. It worked out," Zverev, who vented his anger in the direction of coach Ivan Lendl in the early stages, said. His task now will be to avoid last year`s let-down when, after beating Cilic on his debut match, he then lost to Roger Federer and Jack Sock to miss out on the semi-finals.

ATP Finals: Clinical Djokovic tames Isner, Zverev edges Cilic

Andy Murray has decided to end his season, according to British media reports, after his revival at the Shenzhen Open was halted in straight sets by a familiar foe, Fernando Verdasco, in the quarter-finals on Friday.

Britain's former world number one had made decent strides with two previous wins this week as he continued to make promising progress on his comeback from hip surgery in January, but he was well beaten 6-4, 6-4 by the Spanish veteran Verdasco.

Murray had been due to play next week's China Open in Beijing, which would have been his last event of his truncated six-tournament season.

The BBC, however, reported he was suffering a slight ankle problem and had decided to concentrate on ensuring he is in his best possible shape for the Australian Open in January.

Friday's result was a repeat of the 34-year-old Verdasco's straight sets victory over Murray in the second round of the US&nbsp;Open in August. The two wins in a month came after Verdasco had previously suffered eight consecutive defeats to the Scot stretching back nine years.

Murray, down to 311 in the world rankings, had enjoyed the best win of his comeback by beating David Goffin on Thursday but fifth seed Verdasco was too solid and occasionally spectacular, cracking 11 aces and 38 winners in his one hour 40-minute win.

It set up Verdasco's first hardcourt semi-final berth for nearly a year against Japanese qualifier Yoshihito Nishioka who, like the Spaniard, disposed of British opposition, beating Cameron Norrie 7-6(2), 6-2.

The other semi-final will feature rising Australian teenager Alex de Minaur, who defeated Bosnia's Damir Dzumhur 6-3, 7-6(7), and France's Pierre-Hugues Herbert, who battled from a set down past Spain's Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-7(6), 7-6(1), 6-4.

Andy Murray has decided to end his season, according to British media reports, after his revival at the Shenzhen Open was halted in straight sets by a familiar foe, Fernando Verdasco, in the quarter-finals on Friday.

Andy Murray has decided to end his season, according to British media reports, after his revival at the Shenzhen Open was halted in straight sets by a familiar foe, Fernando Verdasco, in the quarter-finals on Friday. Britain's former world number one had made decent strides with two previous wins this week as he continued to make promising progress on his comeback from hip surgery in January, but he was well beaten 6-4, 6-4 by the Spanish veteran Verdasco. Murray had been due to play next week's China Open in Beijing, which would have been his last event of his truncated six-tournament season. The BBC, however, reported he was suffering a slight ankle problem and had decided to concentrate on ensuring he is in his best possible shape for the Australian Open in January. Friday's result was a repeat of the 34-year-old Verdasco's straight sets victory over Murray in the second round of the US Open in August. The two wins in a month came after Verdasco had previously suffered eight consecutive defeats to the Scot stretching back nine years. Murray, down to 311 in the world rankings, had enjoyed the best win of his comeback by beating David Goffin on Thursday but fifth seed Verdasco was too solid and occasionally spectacular, cracking 11 aces and 38 winners in his one hour 40-minute win. It set up Verdasco's first hardcourt semi-final berth for nearly a year against Japanese qualifier Yoshihito Nishioka who, like the Spaniard, disposed of British opposition, beating Cameron Norrie 7-6(2), 6-2. The other semi-final will feature rising Australian teenager Alex de Minaur, who defeated Bosnia's Damir Dzumhur 6-3, 7-6(7), and France's Pierre-Hugues Herbert, who battled from a set down past Spain's Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-7(6), 7-6(1), 6-4.

Andy Murray ends season after defeat by Verdasco in Shenzhen

Former world number one Andy Murray withdrew from the Brisbane International with a hip problem on Tuesday, further putting in doubt the Briton&#39;s prospects of being fit in time for the Australian Open later this month.

Murray has not played a competitive match since a Wimbledon quarter-final loss last July due to the complaint and despite coming through a one-set exhibition in Abu Dhabi last week, he was unable to train on Tuesday and announced his withdrawal.

&quot;I&#39;m very disappointed to be withdrawing from the Brisbane International,&quot; Murray, seeded second in Brisbane, told tournament organisers.

&quot;I came here with every intention of making a strong start to the year, but sadly my team and I don&#39;t feel that I&#39;m where I need to be just yet to compete at the highest level.&quot;

The world number 16 had been due to play his first tournament match of the season on Thursday with a second-round encounter against American Ryan Harrison at Pat Rafter Arena. He will be replaced by German lucky loser Yannick Hanfmann.

The 30-year-old three-time grand slam winner is now facing a race against time to be fit for the year&#39;s opening major in Melbourne starting on Jan. 15, along with fellow ailing &quot;Big Four&quot; members Rafael Nadal (back) and Novak Djokovic (elbow).

Murray, who said on Sunday that he planned to trim his schedule in 2018 to prevent a recurrence of his injury issues, will remain in Brisbane as he works towards returning to the tennis circuit.

&quot;I have great memories of playing here in Brisbane and I have always enjoyed competing in front of the Queensland fans, so look forward to returning in the near future,&quot; he added.

Tournament director Cameron Pearson wished Murray well as he continued his rehabilitation.

&quot;I&#39;m really disappointed for Andy, as I know how much he was looking forward to getting his season started in Brisbane,&quot; he said.

&quot;As a two-time former champion, he has great memories of playing on Pat Rafter Arena and thrilling his fans. I wish him all the best to be ready to play the Australian Open.&quot;

Former world number one Andy Murray withdrew from the Brisbane International with a hip problem on Tuesday, further putting in doubt the Briton's prospects of being fit in time for the Australian Open later this month

Former world number one Andy Murray withdrew from the Brisbane International with a hip problem on Tuesday, further putting in doubt the Briton's prospects of being fit in time for the Australian Open later this month. Murray has not played a competitive match since a Wimbledon quarter-final loss last July due to the complaint and despite coming through a one-set exhibition in Abu Dhabi last week, he was unable to train on Tuesday and announced his withdrawal. "I'm very disappointed to be withdrawing from the Brisbane International," Murray, seeded second in Brisbane, told tournament organisers. "I came here with every intention of making a strong start to the year, but sadly my team and I don't feel that I'm where I need to be just yet to compete at the highest level." The world number 16 had been due to play his first tournament match of the season on Thursday with a second-round encounter against American Ryan Harrison at Pat Rafter Arena. He will be replaced by German lucky loser Yannick Hanfmann. The 30-year-old three-time grand slam winner is now facing a race against time to be fit for the year's opening major in Melbourne starting on Jan. 15, along with fellow ailing "Big Four" members Rafael Nadal (back) and Novak Djokovic (elbow). Murray, who said on Sunday that he planned to trim his schedule in 2018 to prevent a recurrence of his injury issues, will remain in Brisbane as he works towards returning to the tennis circuit. "I have great memories of playing here in Brisbane and I have always enjoyed competing in front of the Queensland fans, so look forward to returning in the near future," he added. Tournament director Cameron Pearson wished Murray well as he continued his rehabilitation. "I'm really disappointed for Andy, as I know how much he was looking forward to getting his season started in Brisbane," he said. "As a two-time former champion, he has great memories of playing on Pat Rafter Arena and thrilling his fans. I wish him all the best to be ready to play the Australian Open."

Tennis: Murray out of Brisbane event with hip injury

The Swiss 19-time grand slam champion had encouraging words for his friend and rival while helping Murray start his comeback gently by playing him in a charity match in Glasgow on Tuesday.

Former world number one Murray, who has been sidelined with a hip injury since Wimbledon, is targeting a return in the New Year with a view to competing at the Australian Open.

Federer, who was in a similar position last year when he missed the second half of the season through injury, took time out to completely recover and was rewarded with a spectacular return in 2017 featuring two grand slam triumphs.

Before beating Murray in the knockabout exhibition match, Federer told the three-time grand slam winner: &rdquo;My best advice is just to get fit again. Take your time, however long it takes.

&rdquo;When you come back you want to be at 100 percent, otherwise the problem is you feel you just can&rsquo;t beat the best at the big tournaments, so it&rsquo;s wise and worthwhile to take the extra week, extra month maybe.

&ldquo;I&lsquo;m sure Andy has a lot of years left so there shouldn&rsquo;t be a hurry but as a professional athlete, you always want to come back as quickly as possible and you need to have goals but sometimes they need to be postponed.&rdquo;

It is extraordinary how the pair&rsquo;s fortunes have changed in 12 months, but the experience of 36-year-old Federer can act as an inspiration to a player six years his junior.

This time last year, Murray had just achieved his ambition of becoming world number one while questions were being asked about Federer&rsquo;s future after his injury-decimated campaign.

Yet the Swiss returned to win the Australian Open and Wimbledon, shoot back up to number two in the world and play some of the best tennis of his garlanded career while injury-hit Murray&rsquo;s form and confidence dipped.

From number one, Murray has plummeted to 16th in the rankings, his lowest position for nine years but Federer is confident his rival will climb back to the top again.

Roger Federer believes Andy Murray should follow his lead by ensuring he does not rush back to competitive action too quickly following the Scot?s injury-ruined season.

The Swiss 19-time grand slam champion had encouraging words for his friend and rival while helping Murray start his comeback gently by playing him in a charity match in Glasgow on Tuesday. Former world number one Murray, who has been sidelined with a hip injury since Wimbledon, is targeting a return in the New Year with a view to competing at the Australian Open. Federer, who was in a similar position last year when he missed the second half of the season through injury, took time out to completely recover and was rewarded with a spectacular return in 2017 featuring two grand slam triumphs. Before beating Murray in the knockabout exhibition match, Federer told the three-time grand slam winner: ”My best advice is just to get fit again. Take your time, however long it takes. ”When you come back you want to be at 100 percent, otherwise the problem is you feel you just can’t beat the best at the big tournaments, so it’s wise and worthwhile to take the extra week, extra month maybe. “I‘m sure Andy has a lot of years left so there shouldn’t be a hurry but as a professional athlete, you always want to come back as quickly as possible and you need to have goals but sometimes they need to be postponed.” It is extraordinary how the pair’s fortunes have changed in 12 months, but the experience of 36-year-old Federer can act as an inspiration to a player six years his junior. This time last year, Murray had just achieved his ambition of becoming world number one while questions were being asked about Federer’s future after his injury-decimated campaign. Yet the Swiss returned to win the Australian Open and Wimbledon, shoot back up to number two in the world and play some of the best tennis of his garlanded career while injury-hit Murray’s form and confidence dipped. From number one, Murray has plummeted to 16th in the rankings, his lowest position for nine years but Federer is confident his rival will climb back to the top again.

Federer's advice to Murray: 'Get fit, take your time'

The defending Wimbledon champ&nbsp;Andy Murray reached the&nbsp;second round&nbsp;Monday with a 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 win over Kazakh lucky loser Alexander Bublik.

Despite two short breaks for rain&nbsp;Murray stayed in his groove, nailing the corners and his serves to simply overpower his opponent, Reuters reported.

Bublik had made the draw despite losing his last qualifying match to Daniel Brands in five sets, The Guardian said.

Next up for Murray is&nbsp;Dustin Brown, the German serve-volleyer&nbsp;who knocked out Rafael Nadal two years ago.&nbsp;

German world number 97 Brown came back from a set and a break down to beat Portugal&#39;s Joao Sousa 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 6-4.

&nbsp;

Next up for Murray is?Dustin Brown, the man who knocked out Rafael Nadal two years ago

The defending Wimbledon champ Andy Murray reached the second round Monday with a 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 win over Kazakh lucky loser Alexander Bublik. Despite two short breaks for rain Murray stayed in his groove, nailing the corners and his serves to simply overpower his opponent, Reuters reported. Bublik had made the draw despite losing his last qualifying match to Daniel Brands in five sets, The Guardian said. Next up for Murray is Dustin Brown, the German serve-volleyer who knocked out Rafael Nadal two years ago. German world number 97 Brown came back from a set and a break down to beat Portugal's Joao Sousa 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 6-4.

Wimbledon: Murray beats Alexander Bublik, enters second round

Stan Wawrinka broke down Andy Murray&#39;s formidable defences to reach the French Open final on Friday, twice coming from a set down to win a high-octane contest 6-7(6) 6-3 5-7 7-6(3) 6-1.

The Swiss 2015 champion hit a staggering 87 winners as he avenged last year&#39;s semi-final defeat by the world number one to set up a final against nine-times champion Rafa Nadal or Austrian wunderkind Dominic Thiem.

Murray absorbed everything Wawrinka threw at him for most of the four hour and 34 minute match but after winning a tense fourth set Wawrinka steamed ahead in the decider as Murray&#39;s armour was finally pierced.

Third seed Wawrinka, who had not dropped a set on the way to the semis, wavered slightly when dropping serve at 5-0 but broke straight back to claim victory with a flashing backhand.

(Reuters)

The Swiss 2015 champion hit a staggering 87 winners as he avenged last year's semi-final defeat

Stan Wawrinka broke down Andy Murray's formidable defences to reach the French Open final on Friday, twice coming from a set down to win a high-octane contest 6-7(6) 6-3 5-7 7-6(3) 6-1. The Swiss 2015 champion hit a staggering 87 winners as he avenged last year's semi-final defeat by the world number one to set up a final against nine-times champion Rafa Nadal or Austrian wunderkind Dominic Thiem. Murray absorbed everything Wawrinka threw at him for most of the four hour and 34 minute match but after winning a tense fourth set Wawrinka steamed ahead in the decider as Murray's armour was finally pierced. Third seed Wawrinka, who had not dropped a set on the way to the semis, wavered slightly when dropping serve at 5-0 but broke straight back to claim victory with a flashing backhand. (Reuters)

French Open: Wawrinka beats out Murray to reach the finals

Andy Murray racked up his 650th career win to reach the French Open quarter-finals Monday where he was joined by 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka.

World number one Murray, the runner-up in Paris to Novak Djokovic in 2016, brushed aside Karen Khachanov of Russia 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

However, instead of discussing the match in the traditional on-court TV interview, Murray took the microphone to remember the 29 people who died in the recent outrages in London and Manchester.

&quot;Obviously there was terrible tragedy in London and Manchester. Paris has had its&nbsp;problems too in recent years,&quot; said Murray.

&quot;I am sure everyone will join me... we share our thoughts and prayers with everyone who has been affected.&nbsp;

&quot;I appreciate everyone still coming out to support the tennis. I am grateful that I can still perform in front of everyone.&quot;

Murray broke the serve of the 21-year-old Russian, playing in a Slam fourth round for the first time, on five occasions.

Before Monday, Khachanov had held serve for 48 successive service games.

In his seventh Paris quarter-final, Murray will face Japanese eighth seed Kei Nishikori who defeated 33-year-old Fernando Verdasco of Spain 0-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-0.

Nishikori, a beaten quarter-finalist in Paris in 2015, has now made the last eight of a Slam for a seventh time, a record for a Japanese man.

Wawrinka, the third seed, booked a place in the quarter-finals for the fourth time with a comfortable 7-5, 7-6 (9/7), 6-2 win over Gael Monfils, the last French player in the men&#39;s draw.

Marin Cilic completed the quarter-final line-up when South Africa&#39;s Kevin Anderson retired with a thigh injury trailing 6-3, 3-0.

It is Cilic&#39;s first Roland Garros last-eight spot while he is the first Croatian to get this far since Mario Ancic and Ivan Ljubicic in 2006.

Seven of the top seeds have made the quarter-finals with Spain&#39;s Pablo Carreno Busta playing the role of gate-crasher having knocked out fifth seed Milos Raonic on Sunday.

Women&#39;s title favourite and 2014 runner-up Simona Halep trounced Spain&#39;s Carla Suarez-Navarro 6-1, 6-1 to make the last eight without dropping a set or breaking sweat.

Third seed Halep, who can become the new world number one if she wins the title, claimed her first win on clay in six attempts against the Spaniard.

&quot;I played my best match of the tournament. I served well and opened up the court,&quot; said Halep.

The 25-year-old Halep will tackle Ukraine&#39;s fifth seed Elina Svitolina for a semi-final place.

The two met in the Rome final on the eve of Roland Garros when Halep was beaten and suffered an ankle injury which threatened her appearance in Paris.

&quot;I sill feel the ankle some times but I am able to run. I don&#39;t think about it during the points,&quot; added Halep.

Martic magical run ends&nbsp;

Svitolina reached the quarter-finals for the second time, ending the dream run of world number 290 Petra Martic with a 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 win.

However, Martic, bidding to become only the 10th qualifier to make the last eight in Paris threw away a golden chance for victory.

The 26-year-old led 5-2 in the final set before Svitolina rallied to race away with the last five games.

Later Monday, Czech world number two Karolina Pliskova, also in the running to become both a first time major winner and the new world number one, faces Veronica Cepede Royg in her last-16 tie.

Cepede Royg, ranked 97 in the world, is only the second Paraguayan to make the fourth round of a major.

The only other was Rossana de los Rios in Paris 17 years ago.

Argentina&#39;s Paola Suarez was the last South American woman to reach a quarter-final at a Slam at Wimbledon in 2004.

Before this year, Pliskova had never made it beyond the second round in Paris.

However, she has not yet had to face a player ranked in the top 65 in this tournament.

Monday&#39;s other last-16 clash sees an all-French battle between Alize Cornet and Caroline Garcia who are barely on speaking terms.

The two fell out after Garcia withdrew from the Fed Cup team earlier this year.

&quot;I think that the relationship is not very good,&quot; said 27-year-old Cornet.&nbsp;

&quot;I think she may have a grudge against us, so she&#39;s not ready to talk with me.&quot;

Cornet is playing in her 45th Slam but has yet to reach a quarter-final.

In the remaining men&#39;s last-16 ties, third seed and 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka faces Gael Monfils of France while Marin Cilic tackles Kevin Anderson.

(AFP)

The world number one paid tributes to those who were killed in London and Manchester attacks recently right after he won his fourth-round match against Karen Khachanov

Andy Murray racked up his 650th career win to reach the French Open quarter-finals Monday where he was joined by 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka. World number one Murray, the runner-up in Paris to Novak Djokovic in 2016, brushed aside Karen Khachanov of Russia 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. However, instead of discussing the match in the traditional on-court TV interview, Murray took the microphone to remember the 29 people who died in the recent outrages in London and Manchester. "Obviously there was terrible tragedy in London and Manchester. Paris has had its problems too in recent years," said Murray. "I am sure everyone will join me... we share our thoughts and prayers with everyone who has been affected. "I appreciate everyone still coming out to support the tennis. I am grateful that I can still perform in front of everyone." Murray broke the serve of the 21-year-old Russian, playing in a Slam fourth round for the first time, on five occasions. Before Monday, Khachanov had held serve for 48 successive service games. In his seventh Paris quarter-final, Murray will face Japanese eighth seed Kei Nishikori who defeated 33-year-old Fernando Verdasco of Spain 0-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-0. Nishikori, a beaten quarter-finalist in Paris in 2015, has now made the last eight of a Slam for a seventh time, a record for a Japanese man. Wawrinka, the third seed, booked a place in the quarter-finals for the fourth time with a comfortable 7-5, 7-6 (9/7), 6-2 win over Gael Monfils, the last French player in the men's draw. Marin Cilic completed the quarter-final line-up when South Africa's Kevin Anderson retired with a thigh injury trailing 6-3, 3-0. It is Cilic's first Roland Garros last-eight spot while he is the first Croatian to get this far since Mario Ancic and Ivan Ljubicic in 2006. Seven of the top seeds have made the quarter-finals with Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta playing the role of gate-crasher having knocked out fifth seed Milos Raonic on Sunday. Women's title favourite and 2014 runner-up Simona Halep trounced Spain's Carla Suarez-Navarro 6-1, 6-1 to make the last eight without dropping a set or breaking sweat. Third seed Halep, who can become the new world number one if she wins the title, claimed her first win on clay in six attempts against the Spaniard. "I played my best match of the tournament. I served well and opened up the court," said Halep. The 25-year-old Halep will tackle Ukraine's fifth seed Elina Svitolina for a semi-final place. The two met in the Rome final on the eve of Roland Garros when Halep was beaten and suffered an ankle injury which threatened her appearance in Paris. "I sill feel the ankle some times but I am able to run. I don't think about it during the points," added Halep. Martic magical run ends Svitolina reached the quarter-finals for the second time, ending the dream run of world number 290 Petra Martic with a 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 win. However, Martic, bidding to become only the 10th qualifier to make the last eight in Paris threw away a golden chance for victory. The 26-year-old led 5-2 in the final set before Svitolina rallied to race away with the last five games. Later Monday, Czech world number two Karolina Pliskova, also in the running to become both a first time major winner and the new world number one, faces Veronica Cepede Royg in her last-16 tie. Cepede Royg, ranked 97 in the world, is only the second Paraguayan to make the fourth round of a major. The only other was Rossana de los Rios in Paris 17 years ago. Argentina's Paola Suarez was the last South American woman to reach a quarter-final at a Slam at Wimbledon in 2004. Before this year, Pliskova had never made it beyond the second round in Paris. However, she has not yet had to face a player ranked in the top 65 in this tournament. Monday's other last-16 clash sees an all-French battle between Alize Cornet and Caroline Garcia who are barely on speaking terms. The two fell out after Garcia withdrew from the Fed Cup team earlier this year. "I think that the relationship is not very good," said 27-year-old Cornet. "I think she may have a grudge against us, so she's not ready to talk with me." Cornet is playing in her 45th Slam but has yet to reach a quarter-final. In the remaining men's last-16 ties, third seed and 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka faces Gael Monfils of France while Marin Cilic tackles Kevin Anderson. (AFP)

French Open: Emotional Murray to take on Nishikori in quarters

Defending champion Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal were drawn to face each other in a blockbuster&nbsp;French&nbsp;Open&nbsp;semi-final on Friday.

Nadal is chasing a 10th title at Roland Garros while second seed Djokovic, working with new coach Andre Agassi, is looking to defend the only major he still holds.

&quot;Rafa is the number one favourite,&quot; said Djokovic.

World number one Andy Murray is seeded to face 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka in the last four.

Murray starts against Russia&#39;s world number 85 Andrey Kuznetsov, Djokovic tackles Spanish clay courter Marcel Granollers while Nadal meets combustible Frenchman Benoit Paire.

Murray could face dangerous Juan Martin del Potro in the third round.

Injury-plagued del Potro, who lost to Murray in the 2016 Olympics final, is playing Roland Garros for the first time since 2012.

If the seedings work out, 2016 runner-up Murray, who is reportedly suffering from an illness, would face Japan&#39;s Kei Nishikori in the last eight.

The other quarter-finals would see Wawrinka meet 2014 US&nbsp;Open&nbsp;champion Marin Cilic, Nadal would meet Canada&#39;s Milos Raonic while Djokovic could take on Dominic Thiem.

Djokovic demolished highly-regarded Austrian Thiem for the loss of just one game in the Rome Masters semi-finals last week.

The 30-year-old Nadal has already reached the magical 10 titles number this year at the claycourt events in Monte Carlo and Barcelona.

For good measure, he also won Madrid for a fifth time, ending a seven-match losing streak, stretching back over two years against Djokovic in the process.

Nadal boasts a sensational career record at Roland Garros -- 72 wins and just two defeats, to Djokovic in 2015 and an injury-affected shock loss to Robin Soderling in 2009.

&#39;No magic pattern&#39;&nbsp;

On clay this year, Djokovic has been on an upward curve -- quarter-finals in Monte Carlo, semi-finals in Madrid and a runners-up spot in Rome where he was comprehensively demolished by Alexander Zverev.

&quot;It was one of my last dreams in terms of tournaments that I wanted to win here,&quot; said Djokovic at the draw on Friday.

&quot;It was missing from my list so I ticked it off and got the full set of Grand Slams.&quot;

Murray has endured a wretched season by his standards with an elbow injury not helping his cause.

He lost in the third round in Monte Carlo, made the semis in Barcelona, was a third-round loser in Madrid before an opening defeat in Rome to Fabio Fognini.

Zverev faces Spanish veteran Fernando Verdasco first up, Thiem tackles Bernard Tomic of Australia while fellow &#39;NextGen&#39; star Nick Kyrgios faces Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany.

Nishikori, yet to get past the quarter-finals in Paris, begins against 21-year-old Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis.

In the women&#39;s draw, top seed Angelique Kerber starts against experienced Russian Ekaterina Makarova in the first round.

Kerber is due to face defending champion Garbine Muguruza of Spain in the semi-finals.

&quot;I am super-excited to be here. I am preparing the best I can but there is no magic pattern,&quot; said Muguruza who comes into the tournament having suffered a neck injury in Rome last week.

Muguruza has a tough opener against former champion Francesca Schiavone.

Second seed Karolina Plisova was drawn to face 2014 runner-up Simona Halep in the semi-finals but will start against Zheng Saisai of China.

Halep has an ankle injury and described her chances of making Roland Garros as &quot;50-50&quot; earlier this week.

The women&#39;s event is regarded as being wide&nbsp;open&nbsp;with Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka all absent.

If the seedings works out, Kerber will face former champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in the last eight with Muguruza against Dominika Cibulkova.

Elina Svitolina would face Halep, who she defeated in the Rome final, while Britain&#39;s Johanna Konta would be Pliskova&#39;s last-eight rival.

(AFP)

World number one Andy Murray, meanwhile, has a potential third round against Juan Martin del Potro

Defending champion Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal were drawn to face each other in a blockbuster French Open semi-final on Friday. Nadal is chasing a 10th title at Roland Garros while second seed Djokovic, working with new coach Andre Agassi, is looking to defend the only major he still holds. "Rafa is the number one favourite," said Djokovic. World number one Andy Murray is seeded to face 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka in the last four. Murray starts against Russia's world number 85 Andrey Kuznetsov, Djokovic tackles Spanish clay courter Marcel Granollers while Nadal meets combustible Frenchman Benoit Paire. Murray could face dangerous Juan Martin del Potro in the third round. Injury-plagued del Potro, who lost to Murray in the 2016 Olympics final, is playing Roland Garros for the first time since 2012. If the seedings work out, 2016 runner-up Murray, who is reportedly suffering from an illness, would face Japan's Kei Nishikori in the last eight. The other quarter-finals would see Wawrinka meet 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic, Nadal would meet Canada's Milos Raonic while Djokovic could take on Dominic Thiem. Djokovic demolished highly-regarded Austrian Thiem for the loss of just one game in the Rome Masters semi-finals last week. The 30-year-old Nadal has already reached the magical 10 titles number this year at the claycourt events in Monte Carlo and Barcelona. For good measure, he also won Madrid for a fifth time, ending a seven-match losing streak, stretching back over two years against Djokovic in the process. Nadal boasts a sensational career record at Roland Garros -- 72 wins and just two defeats, to Djokovic in 2015 and an injury-affected shock loss to Robin Soderling in 2009. 'No magic pattern' On clay this year, Djokovic has been on an upward curve -- quarter-finals in Monte Carlo, semi-finals in Madrid and a runners-up spot in Rome where he was comprehensively demolished by Alexander Zverev. "It was one of my last dreams in terms of tournaments that I wanted to win here," said Djokovic at the draw on Friday. "It was missing from my list so I ticked it off and got the full set of Grand Slams." Murray has endured a wretched season by his standards with an elbow injury not helping his cause. He lost in the third round in Monte Carlo, made the semis in Barcelona, was a third-round loser in Madrid before an opening defeat in Rome to Fabio Fognini. Zverev faces Spanish veteran Fernando Verdasco first up, Thiem tackles Bernard Tomic of Australia while fellow 'NextGen' star Nick Kyrgios faces Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany. Nishikori, yet to get past the quarter-finals in Paris, begins against 21-year-old Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis. In the women's draw, top seed Angelique Kerber starts against experienced Russian Ekaterina Makarova in the first round. Kerber is due to face defending champion Garbine Muguruza of Spain in the semi-finals. "I am super-excited to be here. I am preparing the best I can but there is no magic pattern," said Muguruza who comes into the tournament having suffered a neck injury in Rome last week. Muguruza has a tough opener against former champion Francesca Schiavone. Second seed Karolina Plisova was drawn to face 2014 runner-up Simona Halep in the semi-finals but will start against Zheng Saisai of China. Halep has an ankle injury and described her chances of making Roland Garros as "50-50" earlier this week. The women's event is regarded as being wide open with Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka all absent. If the seedings works out, Kerber will face former champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in the last eight with Muguruza against Dominika Cibulkova. Elina Svitolina would face Halep, who she defeated in the Rome final, while Britain's Johanna Konta would be Pliskova's last-eight rival. (AFP)

French Open draw: Nadal, Djokovic set on collision course

Maria Sharapova is still waiting to hear if she can play at the French Open later this month but men&#39;s world number one Andy Murray expects her to be at Wimbledon in July.

Sharapova returned last month from a doping ban to reach the semi-finals at the Stuttgart Open, but did not earn enough points to qualify for Roland Garros and is reliant on a wildcard for the qualifying tournament.

The French Tennis Federation will announce their decision on May 16.

Murray, however, said he expected the five-times grand slam champion would be on the grasscourts of south-west London.

&quot;I think there&#39;s a good chance Wimbledon would give her one (a wild card) to get into qualifying,&quot; Murray told reporters at an event for June&#39;s Aegon Championships tournament at the Queen&#39;s Club in London.

&quot;I think we&#39;ve got to wait and see what happens because there might not even be a decision to be made because she might be in the main draw after Madrid or Rome, so there&#39;s a good chance she can get in by right.&quot;

The Russian can qualify for the main draw at Wimbledon by reaching the semi-final of either the Madrid or Rome tournaments.

The rankings deadline for Wimbledon qualification is May 29.

Murray, who sustained an injury in March, returned to action at the Barcelona Open last month and said he was feeling good as he looked ahead to Roland Garros.

&quot;I feel much better than I did three or four weeks ago,&quot; he added.

&quot;I feel like physically I am getting back to where I need to be and I feel like I am able to put in the work I need to, to be able to play my best tennis.&quot;

(Reuters)

Sharapova returned last month from a doping ban to reach the semi-finals at the Stuttgart Open

Maria Sharapova is still waiting to hear if she can play at the French Open later this month but men's world number one Andy Murray expects her to be at Wimbledon in July. Sharapova returned last month from a doping ban to reach the semi-finals at the Stuttgart Open, but did not earn enough points to qualify for Roland Garros and is reliant on a wildcard for the qualifying tournament. The French Tennis Federation will announce their decision on May 16. Murray, however, said he expected the five-times grand slam champion would be on the grasscourts of south-west London. "I think there's a good chance Wimbledon would give her one (a wild card) to get into qualifying," Murray told reporters at an event for June's Aegon Championships tournament at the Queen's Club in London. "I think we've got to wait and see what happens because there might not even be a decision to be made because she might be in the main draw after Madrid or Rome, so there's a good chance she can get in by right." The Russian can qualify for the main draw at Wimbledon by reaching the semi-final of either the Madrid or Rome tournaments. The rankings deadline for Wimbledon qualification is May 29. Murray, who sustained an injury in March, returned to action at the Barcelona Open last month and said he was feeling good as he looked ahead to Roland Garros. "I feel much better than I did three or four weeks ago," he added. "I feel like physically I am getting back to where I need to be and I feel like I am able to put in the work I need to, to be able to play my best tennis." (Reuters)

Murray confident that Sharapova will play at Wimbledon

Spaniard Albert Ramos dumped world No-1&nbsp;Andy Murray out of the Monte Carlo Masters 2-6 6-2 7-5 on Thursday after firing back from 4-0 down in the final set to take his place in the quarter-finals.

Murray, who suffered an elbow injury in March and made his return from a five-week layoff on Wednesday after a first-round bye, won the opening set in 48 minutes before losing concentration.

Swiss third seed Stan Wawrinka, the 2015 French Open champion, was also sent packing when he lost to Uruguay&#39;s Pablo Cuevas 6-4 6-4 but nine-times champion Rafael Nadal crushed birthday boy Alexander Zverev for the loss of only two games.

Left-hander Ramos ranked 24th in the world and the 15th seed ripped through the second set in 36 minutes and refused to give up after the Scot had romped to a 4-0 advantage in the third with victory beckoning.

&quot;I&#39;m disappointed to lose from the position that I was in. Being 4-0 up in the third, I haven&#39;t lost many matches like that in my career,&quot; Murray told a news conference.

&quot;He obviously started playing better towards the end of the set. I still had a bunch of chances. I guess both of us did, really. I should have been able to do enough to weather that storm a little bit and finish the match off.&quot;

The Spaniard won four games in a row before Murray, his serve misfiring, applied some late pressure. But Ramos was implacable as he won the next two with back-to-back breaks and served for the match.

Murray saved one match point before hitting a return into the net to hand Ramos an impressive victory over his top-ranked opponent in the first European clay court tournament of the season.

In another match,&nbsp;Nadal dropped a set in the second round against Kyle Edmund but was ruthless as he dispatched another young gun, the 20-year-old Zverev who was reduced to trashing rackets in frustration against the Spaniard.

The nine-times French Open champion needed little more than an hour to win 6-1 6-1.

(Reuters)

Spaniard Albert Ramos played unrelenting Tennis to dislodge Andy Murray at the Monte Carlo Masters

Spaniard Albert Ramos dumped world No-1 Andy Murray out of the Monte Carlo Masters 2-6 6-2 7-5 on Thursday after firing back from 4-0 down in the final set to take his place in the quarter-finals. Murray, who suffered an elbow injury in March and made his return from a five-week layoff on Wednesday after a first-round bye, won the opening set in 48 minutes before losing concentration. Swiss third seed Stan Wawrinka, the 2015 French Open champion, was also sent packing when he lost to Uruguay's Pablo Cuevas 6-4 6-4 but nine-times champion Rafael Nadal crushed birthday boy Alexander Zverev for the loss of only two games. Left-hander Ramos ranked 24th in the world and the 15th seed ripped through the second set in 36 minutes and refused to give up after the Scot had romped to a 4-0 advantage in the third with victory beckoning. "I'm disappointed to lose from the position that I was in. Being 4-0 up in the third, I haven't lost many matches like that in my career," Murray told a news conference. "He obviously started playing better towards the end of the set. I still had a bunch of chances. I guess both of us did, really. I should have been able to do enough to weather that storm a little bit and finish the match off." The Spaniard won four games in a row before Murray, his serve misfiring, applied some late pressure. But Ramos was implacable as he won the next two with back-to-back breaks and served for the match. Murray saved one match point before hitting a return into the net to hand Ramos an impressive victory over his top-ranked opponent in the first European clay court tournament of the season. In another match, Nadal dropped a set in the second round against Kyle Edmund but was ruthless as he dispatched another young gun, the 20-year-old Zverev who was reduced to trashing rackets in frustration against the Spaniard. The nine-times French Open champion needed little more than an hour to win 6-1 6-1. (Reuters)

Monte Carlo Masters: Andy Murray, Wawrinka crash out

World number one Andy Murray crashed out of the ATP Indian Wells Masters on Saturday, sent spinning in straight sets by Canadian qualifier Vasek Pospisil.

Pospisil, ranked 129th in the world, triumphed 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), sealing the biggest win of his career on his fourth match point to the delight a stadium court crowd won over by the underdog&#39;s aggressive serve-and-volley style.

For Britain&#39;s Murray, it was yet another disappointing performance in the California desert, where his best showing is a 2009 runner-up finish to Rafael Nadal.

Last year Murray was bundled out in the third round, but he was hoping for much better as he arrived fresh off his 45th career ATP title in Dubai.

&quot;I don&#39;t know exactly why it is, because in practice here normally I play pretty well,&quot; Murray said. &quot;And then some years I played well. Some years it just hasn&#39;t quite happened for me. I don&#39;t know exactly why that is.&quot;

Murray was particularly disappointed to have dropped the first set after twice going up a break.

But he hurt his own cause with seven double-faults, part of a poor serving night that he said was key to the defeat.

Pospisil had never beaten Murray in four prior encounters. The 26-year-old, who defeated Taiwan&#39;s Lu Yen-Hsun in the first round as Murray enjoyed a bye, notched his fourth career victory over a top-10 player and his first since 2014.

The Canadian, a Wimbledon doubles title winner with Jack Sock, was ranked as high as 25th in the world three years ago, but plummeted to as low as 135th in the world during a tumultuous 2016.

Late last year he began working with Australia&#39;s Mark Woodforde -- and he gave a shout-out to his new coach on court after wrapping up the biggest win of his career in one hour and 51 minutes.

(AFP)

The world number one lost in straight sets to Canada's Vasek Pospisil

World number one Andy Murray crashed out of the ATP Indian Wells Masters on Saturday, sent spinning in straight sets by Canadian qualifier Vasek Pospisil. Pospisil, ranked 129th in the world, triumphed 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), sealing the biggest win of his career on his fourth match point to the delight a stadium court crowd won over by the underdog's aggressive serve-and-volley style. For Britain's Murray, it was yet another disappointing performance in the California desert, where his best showing is a 2009 runner-up finish to Rafael Nadal. Last year Murray was bundled out in the third round, but he was hoping for much better as he arrived fresh off his 45th career ATP title in Dubai. "I don't know exactly why it is, because in practice here normally I play pretty well," Murray said. "And then some years I played well. Some years it just hasn't quite happened for me. I don't know exactly why that is." Murray was particularly disappointed to have dropped the first set after twice going up a break. But he hurt his own cause with seven double-faults, part of a poor serving night that he said was key to the defeat. Pospisil had never beaten Murray in four prior encounters. The 26-year-old, who defeated Taiwan's Lu Yen-Hsun in the first round as Murray enjoyed a bye, notched his fourth career victory over a top-10 player and his first since 2014. The Canadian, a Wimbledon doubles title winner with Jack Sock, was ranked as high as 25th in the world three years ago, but plummeted to as low as 135th in the world during a tumultuous 2016. Late last year he began working with Australia's Mark Woodforde -- and he gave a shout-out to his new coach on court after wrapping up the biggest win of his career in one hour and 51 minutes. (AFP)

Indian Wells: Andy Murray dumped out by qualifier

World number one Andy Murray won his first title of 2017 with a 6-3 6-2 victory over unseeded Spaniard Fernando Verdasco in the Dubai Tennis Championships final on Saturday.

Murray lost his first two service games of the match but overcame that poor start to win in Dubai for the first time.

&quot;Obviously I&#39;m very happy to do it here for the first time. It&#39;s been a good start to the year,&quot; Murray told the BBC.

&quot;Often when you get through matches like that (quarter-final against Philipp Kohlschreiber when I saved seven match points) it settles you down for the rest of the tournament.

&quot;It&#39;s been quite a few late finishes this week. Maybe the last couple of matches, I didn&#39;t start as well as I would like. It&#39;s been the same for all the players, a bit tricky with the rain. Once I got going today, I was moving well and I finished strong.

&quot;This year has given me great momentum.&quot;

Murray, who had won 12 of his past 13 matches against the Spaniard, started slowly and was broken in the first game before breaking back in what was a nervous start by both players.

The heavy-hitting Verdasco cracked a series of powerful winners to break an uncomfortable-looking Murray again in the third game and consolidated to hold for a 3-1 lead.

Despite a shaky serving performance, Murray, helped by a string of Verdasco errors, reeled off five successive games to take the first set 6-3.

Murray continued in the same vein in the second set and slowly began to dictate from the baseline on the back of an improved serve to open up a 3-1 lead which he did not relinquish.

The three-times grand slam winner, who cut a frustrated figure throughout an uncharacteristically sloppy performance, sealed victory with a powerful serve to claim his 45th career title.

(Reuters)

The world number one won his first title of the season, having bowed out early from last month's Australian Open

World number one Andy Murray won his first title of 2017 with a 6-3 6-2 victory over unseeded Spaniard Fernando Verdasco in the Dubai Tennis Championships final on Saturday. Murray lost his first two service games of the match but overcame that poor start to win in Dubai for the first time. "Obviously I'm very happy to do it here for the first time. It's been a good start to the year," Murray told the BBC. "Often when you get through matches like that (quarter-final against Philipp Kohlschreiber when I saved seven match points) it settles you down for the rest of the tournament. "It's been quite a few late finishes this week. Maybe the last couple of matches, I didn't start as well as I would like. It's been the same for all the players, a bit tricky with the rain. Once I got going today, I was moving well and I finished strong. "This year has given me great momentum." Murray, who had won 12 of his past 13 matches against the Spaniard, started slowly and was broken in the first game before breaking back in what was a nervous start by both players. The heavy-hitting Verdasco cracked a series of powerful winners to break an uncomfortable-looking Murray again in the third game and consolidated to hold for a 3-1 lead. Despite a shaky serving performance, Murray, helped by a string of Verdasco errors, reeled off five successive games to take the first set 6-3. Murray continued in the same vein in the second set and slowly began to dictate from the baseline on the back of an improved serve to open up a 3-1 lead which he did not relinquish. The three-times grand slam winner, who cut a frustrated figure throughout an uncharacteristically sloppy performance, sealed victory with a powerful serve to claim his 45th career title. (Reuters)

Murray beats Verdasco to lift maiden Dubai title

World number one Andy Murray showed no signs of weariness to ease into the Dubai Tennis Championships final where he will be chasing his 45th career title.

The top seed defeated seventh-seeded Frenchman Lucas Pouille 7-5, 6-1 and will face veteran Spaniard Fernando Verdasco who broke three times in the deciding set to defeat Robin Haase 7-6 (7/5), 5-7, 6-1 in the other semi-final.

Verdasco, 33 and ranked 35th, has managed just one win from 13 meetings with Murray, who will be playing his second final of the season after losing to Novak Djokovic in Doha at the start of January.

For Murray, a leisurely first set took 67 minutes to complete on Friday, with Pouille coming from a break down but losing serve for 4-4 on a double-fault.&nbsp;

Murray broke in the final game to secure the match lead. The Scot then shifted up a gear, and ran out the winner with a 27-minute second set.

Murray&#39;s win improved his 2017 record to 11-2 as he seeks a 45th career title -- he lost the 2012 final in Dubai to Roger Federer, his best performance at the event.

The Wimbledon champion returned to the court just 24 hours after his epic quarter-final win over Philipp Kohlschreiber which saw the world number one save seven match points in a 31-minute, 38-point second set tiebreak.

Verdasco won his last trophy 11 months ago on clay in Bucharest and was a Doha semi-finalist at the start of the season.

&quot;It was a really tough match, I needed to be there till the last point,&quot; Verdasco said.&nbsp;

&quot;I&#39;m really happy to be in the final, to win this match.

&quot;I&#39;ll just will try to recover and to be as ready as possible for tomorrow.&quot;

The Spaniard improved his career record over Haase to 4-3 thanks to Friday&#39;s victory which was sealed in two and a quarter hours.

Verdasco recovered from a break in the opening game of the match, winning the first set in a tiebreaker before his Dutch opponent levelled at a set each.

However, Verdasco ran off with the win in the decider, overcoming eight aces while producing just two himself for his eighth victory of the season.

(AFP)

World number one Andy Murray beat Pouille in straight sets, while unseeded Verdasco beat Hasse in the other semi-final

World number one Andy Murray showed no signs of weariness to ease into the Dubai Tennis Championships final where he will be chasing his 45th career title. The top seed defeated seventh-seeded Frenchman Lucas Pouille 7-5, 6-1 and will face veteran Spaniard Fernando Verdasco who broke three times in the deciding set to defeat Robin Haase 7-6 (7/5), 5-7, 6-1 in the other semi-final. Verdasco, 33 and ranked 35th, has managed just one win from 13 meetings with Murray, who will be playing his second final of the season after losing to Novak Djokovic in Doha at the start of January. For Murray, a leisurely first set took 67 minutes to complete on Friday, with Pouille coming from a break down but losing serve for 4-4 on a double-fault. Murray broke in the final game to secure the match lead. The Scot then shifted up a gear, and ran out the winner with a 27-minute second set. Murray's win improved his 2017 record to 11-2 as he seeks a 45th career title -- he lost the 2012 final in Dubai to Roger Federer, his best performance at the event. The Wimbledon champion returned to the court just 24 hours after his epic quarter-final win over Philipp Kohlschreiber which saw the world number one save seven match points in a 31-minute, 38-point second set tiebreak. Verdasco won his last trophy 11 months ago on clay in Bucharest and was a Doha semi-finalist at the start of the season. "It was a really tough match, I needed to be there till the last point," Verdasco said. "I'm really happy to be in the final, to win this match. "I'll just will try to recover and to be as ready as possible for tomorrow." The Spaniard improved his career record over Haase to 4-3 thanks to Friday's victory which was sealed in two and a quarter hours. Verdasco recovered from a break in the opening game of the match, winning the first set in a tiebreaker before his Dutch opponent levelled at a set each. However, Verdasco ran off with the win in the decider, overcoming eight aces while producing just two himself for his eighth victory of the season. (AFP)

Murray beats Pouille to set up Verdasco showdown in Dubai

Andy Murray saved seven match points in a 31-minute tiebreak that stretched to 38 points before he finally subdued Germany&#39;s Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-7(4) 7-6(18) 6-1 to reach the Dubai Championships semi-final on Thursday.

A day after Australian Open champion Roger Federer was surprisingly beaten in the second round, world number one Murray found himself a point away -- time and time again -- from following the Swiss great through the exit door.

But Murray showed the resilience that carried him to the top of the tennis rankings last November as he inflicted a heartbreaking loss on Kohlschreiber.

He finally bagged the second set tiebreak on his eighth set point to level the match. The ATP said it was the longest breaker on the men&#39;s tour since the 2007 Australian Open.

The marathon tiebreak effectively left Kohlschreiber running on empty in the third set and Murray needed only another 30 minutes to secure a last-four meeting with either Frenchman Lucas Pouille or Federer&#39;s Russian conqueror Evgeny Donskoy.

The other semi-final will feature Fernando Verdasco and Robin Haase.

(Reuters)

The 31-minute tiebreak stretched to 38 points before he finally subdued Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-7(4) 7-6(18) 6-1

Andy Murray saved seven match points in a 31-minute tiebreak that stretched to 38 points before he finally subdued Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-7(4) 7-6(18) 6-1 to reach the Dubai Championships semi-final on Thursday. A day after Australian Open champion Roger Federer was surprisingly beaten in the second round, world number one Murray found himself a point away -- time and time again -- from following the Swiss great through the exit door. But Murray showed the resilience that carried him to the top of the tennis rankings last November as he inflicted a heartbreaking loss on Kohlschreiber. He finally bagged the second set tiebreak on his eighth set point to level the match. The ATP said it was the longest breaker on the men's tour since the 2007 Australian Open. The marathon tiebreak effectively left Kohlschreiber running on empty in the third set and Murray needed only another 30 minutes to secure a last-four meeting with either Frenchman Lucas Pouille or Federer's Russian conqueror Evgeny Donskoy. The other semi-final will feature Fernando Verdasco and Robin Haase. (Reuters)

Dubai open: Murray survives 38-point tiebreak to reach semi-finals

Top seeded Briton Andy Murray was knocked out of the Australian Open in the fourth round on Sunday (January 22), losing 7-5, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4&nbsp;to German world number 50 Mischa Zverev on Rod Laver Arena.

Murray&#39;s defeat follows that of reigning champion Novak Djokovic, who fell to Denis Istomin in the second round on Thursday, leaving the men&#39;s draw at the year&#39;s first grand slam without its top two seeds at the quarter-final stage.

Venus Williams continued to turn back the clock with a 6-3 7-5 victory over Germany&#39;s Mona Barthel to set up a quarter-final against Russia&#39;s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

The 36-year-old Williams raced out to a 3-0 lead but Barthel fought back with the American having trouble with her ball toss at the northern end of the court as she looked directly into the sun.

Barthel broke twice to give her the opportunity at 4-3 to get back on serve but Williams capitalised on the German also having trouble with the sun to break back then served out from the Yarra River end to clinch the first set in 42 minutes.

The second set went on serve until the 11th game when Williams broke for the first time in the set, then, despite serving from the northern end, clinched victory in 96 minutes.

(Reuters)

Top seeded Briton Andy Murray lost 7-5, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 to German world number 50 Mischa Zverev

Top seeded Briton Andy Murray was knocked out of the Australian Open in the fourth round on Sunday (January 22), losing 7-5, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 to German world number 50 Mischa Zverev on Rod Laver Arena. Murray's defeat follows that of reigning champion Novak Djokovic, who fell to Denis Istomin in the second round on Thursday, leaving the men's draw at the year's first grand slam without its top two seeds at the quarter-final stage. Venus Williams continued to turn back the clock with a 6-3 7-5 victory over Germany's Mona Barthel to set up a quarter-final against Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. The 36-year-old Williams raced out to a 3-0 lead but Barthel fought back with the American having trouble with her ball toss at the northern end of the court as she looked directly into the sun. Barthel broke twice to give her the opportunity at 4-3 to get back on serve but Williams capitalised on the German also having trouble with the sun to break back then served out from the Yarra River end to clinch the first set in 42 minutes. The second set went on serve until the 11th game when Williams broke for the first time in the set, then, despite serving from the northern end, clinched victory in 96 minutes. (Reuters)

Australian Open: Andy Murray knocked out in fourth round

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