Murray out of Australian Open

PTI, Dec 29, 2019, 9:50 AM IST

London: Andy Murray said he felt “gutted” to be missing next month’s Australian Open due to injury after being ruled out of the first Grand Slam of the new year with a pelvic injury.

The 32-year-old Scot suffered the injury playing for Great Britain in the Davis Cup last month and Murray said Saturday: “I’ve worked so hard to get myself into a situation where I can play at the top level and I’m gutted I’m not going to be able to play in Australia in January.”

“After the AO (Australian Open) this year, when I wasn’t sure whether I’d be able to play again, I was excited about coming back to Australia and giving my best, and that makes this even more disappointing for me.

“Unfortunately I’ve had a setback recently and as a precaution, need to work through that before I get back on the court competing.”

Murray had hoped to make his return to Grand Slam action in Melbourne following a hip operation in January.
But concerns over the fitness of Murray, five times a losing Australian Open finalist, were raised when he cancelled as a scheduled block of training in Miami.

As a result, he won’t be back at Melbourne Park, the scene of an emotional press conference last year where he suggested he might retire as a result of his hip injury.

Despite being less than fully fit Murray then took part in a gruelling five-set loss to Roberto Bautista Agut.

A fortnight later double Olympic gold medallist Murray, twice a Wimbledon champion and the winner of the 2012 US Open singles, had hip resurfacing surgery and started his return to action at the Queen’s Club grass-court event in London in June.

October saw Murray win the European Open in Antwerp, a victory that suggested he could still contend for major honours.

But Saturday’s announcement means he will not play again until February at the earliest, with Murray, also ruled out of representing Great Britain at the ATP Cup in Sydney starting on January 3.