Former world No.1 Andy Murray has confirmed that he will not be starting his return to the tour at a Challenger tournament in his home city next week.
Speculation has been mounting that the Brit could play at the inaugural Glasgow Trophy as he eases his way back onto the tour. A €85,000 tournament that takes place at the Scottsdale Leisure Centre. It will get underway on April 30th.
Murray hasn’t played a competitive match since the quarter-finals of the Wimbledon Championships last July. He has been sidelined from action due to a hip injury. Twice he has attempted to stage a return, but was unsuccessful. His latest attempt occurred at the start of the season leading up to the Australian Open. It was shortly after his withdrawal from Melbourne that he underwent surgery on his hip.
“This time’s been harder. . . . There’s been a lot more ups and downs this time,” Murray told The Washington Post about his latest injury struggle. “It’s been a longer and lot more complex than the back issue. Having been through a back injury and a difficult surgery before helps, but the back injury was easier because I was back on the court competing quite soon afterwards.”
Officially the 30-year-old is expected to return to action in June at the Libema Open, in the Netherlands. He is also on the entry list for the French Open, but is expected not to play as he switches his focus to the upcoming grass season.
There is a possibility that Murray could participate in another Challenger event prior to June. Next month Loughborough University will host a new tournament on indoor hard courts. Potentially providing Murray with a golden opportunity to evaluate how his current form fairs ahead of his return to the ATP Tour.
The three-time grand slam champion is currently ranked 34th in the world.
