Will Andy Murray get back to the top?
It has been 18 months since Andy Murray withdrew from his quarter-final match at Wimbledon due to a hip injury and he continues to have pain in that area. The three-time grand slam champion is hoping that his recent misfortunes will become a thing of the past in 2019. Unfortunately for 256th ranked Murray, his priorities are somewhat different on the tour compared to the past.
“I would just like to get through the tournaments and feel like I am able to compete and not be restricted by my hip.’’ Murray told The Courier Mail.
Despite his setbacks, the Brit continues to have the passion and desire for the sport. Highlighted by his decision to undergo a longer off-season training regiment than previous years. So far in his career, Murray has won 45 ATP titles and spent 41 weeks as the world No.1. He also recently brushed aside the idea of retirement at the age of 31.
“You want to go out on your own terms,” AFP news quoted Murray as saying.
“If I decided to stop six months ago, having not played or gotten back to a level where I can compete again, I would have looked back and regretted that.
“I owed it to myself to give myself the best possible shot to get back to a level I was happy with.
“I am able to compete at a high level, but I have to back it up a few days in a row. That’s the challenge.”
A reduced 2018 season saw Murray play just 12 matches, winning six of those, at six tournaments between June-September. His best performances were in Washington, USA and Shenzhen, China, where he reached the quarter-finals. It was at the Shenzhen Open where he beat world No.11 David Goffin in what was his most high-profile win (in terms of ranking) since starting his comeback.
Murray will play at the upcoming Brisbane Open where he faces a potentially tricky first round clash with James Duckworth. Duckworth, who lost to Murray in the first round at Flushing Meadows, recently secured a wildcard for the Australian Open after winning the play-off tournament.
