Andy Murray ‘closer’ to return, targets Wimbledon
Andy Murray says he “getting closer” to playing again following a frustratingly long injury lay-off and hopes to be fit enough to target a third Wimbledon title.
The former world number one has not played competitively since last year’s Wimbledon, undergoing hip surgery at the turn of the year.
With Wimbledon fast approaching, Murray, who has slipped to 47th in the world, said he had returned to training and playing the grasscourt season remained his aim. “It’s been very slow,” he said. “I’ve been out getting close to a year now, which is a lot longer than I think me and any of my team kind of expected at the beginning but I’m getting closer to playing again.
“I’ve started training a few days ago. I’m hoping to make my comeback during the grass-court season.”
Murray, who has won two Wimbledon titles, said he is hoping to play at the Grand Slam event, which starts on July 2.
“I’m hoping I’ll be there but Roger Federer has obviously got a phenomenal record on grass,” said Murray.
“He’ll definitely be up there as one of the favourites, he added. You never know. It depends a little bit on the draw.”
Murray announced his planned return to the ATP Tour would be in the Libema Open in the Netherlands, starting on Monday. The 31year-old is still on the entry list on the tournament’s official website, but can pull out at any time before the event begins. Serena doubtful The 36-year-old Serena Williams stunned the French Open on Monday by withdrawing from her eagerly-anticipated last 16 grudge match with bitter rival Maria Sharapova just minutes before the two icons of the women’s game were due to clash on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Williams admitted that her dream of an eighth Wimbledon title could either be saved or shattered in a Paris doctor’s office this week.
A pectoral muscle injury had slammed the brakes on the ruthless Williams’s serving arm so she decided not to take up the opportunity to extend her 14-year, 18-match win streak over the Russian.
“So I’m going to get an MRI tomorrow (Tuesday). I’m going to stay here and see some of the doctors, see as many specialists as I can,” said the 23-time Grand Slam title winner.
“And I won’t know that [her Wimbledon status] until I get those results.”
In Paris, Williams was playing her first Grand Slam since winning the 2017 Australian Open when she was two months pregnant and first since she gave birth to daughter Olympia in September.
However, in the end, her Paris schedule caught up with her.
She had played six matches in six days, with her singles duties alternating with doubles alongside sister Venus.
With Wimbledon not starting until July 2, Williams has a degree of time on her side in which to get healthy. A rematch with Sharapova at the All England Club could have even greater significance as it was there in 2004 that the Russian, then a slender 17year-old, stunned Williams to lift the title.
It also lit the fuse on a relationship which has generally been close to explosive ever since.
Monday’s scheduled match was due to take place just two days after Williams had blasted Sharapova’s autobiography for being “100 percent hearsay” when it came to references about the aftermath of that 2004 Wimbledon final.
“I think Serena hated me for being the skinny kid who beat her, against all odds, at Wimbledon,” Sharapova wrote in ‘Unstoppable’.
“Not long after I heard Serena told a friend, who then told me, ‘I’ll never lose to that little bitch again’.”