Hip hip Murray! Andy lands first ATP Tour title since return from injury.
ANTWERP: Andy Murray claimed his first ATP Tour title in more than 2½ years at the Antwerp Open in only his sixth singles tournament since returning from hip surgery in January.
The 32-year-old Murray rallied to beat fellow three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the final.
The last time he lifted silverware in singles came in Dubai in March 2017, so it was no surprise that the tears quickly flowed for the British player.
“Obviously it means a lot, the last few years have been extremely difficult, both me and Stan have had a lot of injury problems the last couple of years,” Murray said in an on-court interview broadcast by Amazon Prime.
“I just managed to hang in a bit at the end of the second set and the third set was extremely close again.
“I didn’t expect to be in this position so I’m very happy.
“This is one of the biggest wins that I’ve had after everything so I’m very proud.”
It was their gruelling French Open semi-final two years ago that exacerbated physical issues for both players.
Murray spent the next 18 months trying to find a solution to his hip problems that would enable him to live without pain, while Wawrinka underwent two knee operations.
After undergoing hip resurfacing surgery, Murray returned to the court in June playing doubles – including at Wimbledon – before moving back to singles in August.
The 34-year-old Wawrinka was looking for his first ATP Tour title since the 2017 Geneva Open.
Murray is now expected to take a break until the Davis Cup finals next month while he waits for the birth of his third child.
“I’ll have three kids under 4 years old. I need to get on the road so we don’t get out of control,” Murray joked.
“I’m excited for the third kid. My wife’s been a huge support for getting me back on the court and making me fight to keep playing.” —AP