Murray in doubt for Aussie Open
Hip injury might have Scot opting out of first Grand Slam of the year Too hot Brisbane ‘cramps’ Muguruza’s style
“Surgery is also an option but the chances of a successful outcome are not as high as I would like which has made this my secondary option and my hope has been to avoid that.
“However, this is something I may have to consider but let’s hope not.”
The world number 16 had been due to play his first tournament match of the season tomorrow with a second-round encounter against American Ryan Harrison at Pat Rafter Arena. He will be replaced by Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann.
Murray, who said on Sunday that he planned to trim his schedule in 2018 to prevent a recurrence of his injury issues, will remain in Brisbane for the rest of the week before planning his next move.
“In the short term I’m going to be staying in Australia for the next couple of days to see if my hip settles down a bit and will decide by the weekend whether to stay out here or fly home to assess what I do next,” the 30-year-old added.
“Sorry for the long post but I wanted to keep everyone in the loop and get this off my chest as it’s really hurting inside.”
Brisbane tournament director Cameron Pearson wished the threetimes Grand Sam winner well.
“I’m really disappointed for Andy, as I know how much he was looking forward to getting his season started in Brisbane,” he said. “As a two-time former champion, he has great memories of playing on Pat Rafter Arena and thrilling his fans.
“I wish him all the best to be ready to play the Australian Open.”
Murray’s latest injury setback will also come as a blow to Australian Open organisers ahead of the year’s first major in Melbourne starting January 15, along with those of fellow “Big Four” members, Rafael Nadal (back) and Novak Djokovic (elbow). — Reuters SPAIN’S Garbine Muguruza suffered a fitness scare ahead of this month’s Australian Open when she was forced to retire from the Brisbane International yesterday with severe cramping.
Wimbledon champion Muguruza was ahead 2-1 in the deciding set against Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic in the second round of the warm-up tournament for the season’s first Grand Slam event when she collapsed to the ground following a serve.
The Spanish top seed was unable to continue and handed the match to Krunic,who won 5-7, 7-6 (7/3), 2-1.
“I felt in trouble in the second set when I was 2-0 up and my calves were cramping,” Muguruza said.
Muguruza had won a tight first set and appeared heading for a straight sets win over Krunic when she opened up a 5-2 lead in the second.
However, she began to struggle in the 30°C heat and oppressive humidity as Krunic fought back to win the second set on a tie-break.
Muguruza received treatment from the physio on court before the start of the decider and broke Krunic only to collapse while serving to consolidate the service break.
“I continued to think that with the match it might go away, but then I had a lot of my body cramping,” Muguruza said.
The loss ends any hope Muguruza had of leapfrogging Simona Halep and becoming world number two before the seedings are decided for the Australian Open, which begins on January 15.
But Muguruza was not too downhearted by having to withdraw.
“I’m pleased because we were playing very good points and, you know, good rallies,” she said. “I felt it was a good level and a good match and I’m happy with the way I was playing.”
Krunic will now play either Sorana Cirstea or Anastasija Sevastova in the quarterfinals.
Last year’s runner-up, Alize Cornet, eased into the final eight with a straight-sets 6-1, 7-5 win over Croatia’s Mirjana Lucic-Baroni.
In the men’s draw, 21-year-old South Korean Chung Hyeon stunned fifth seed Gilles Muller from Luxembourg 6-3, 7-6 (7/1) while US qualifier Michael Mmoh upset Argentine Federico Delbonis 6-3, 6-4.
● French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko slumped to a shock defeat in the first round of the Shenzhen Open yesterday, only days after beating Serena Williams in the American’s comeback match.
Number two seed Ostapenko of Latvia lost to the big-serving Czech Krystina Pliskova 6-1, 6-4 in just an hour and 20 minutes.
Ostapenko had beaten Williams via a super tie-break 6-2, 3-6, 10-5 in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, but she had no answer to the power of Pliskova, identical twin sister of former world number one Karolina.
Pliskova raced out to a 5-0 lead to start the match.
“My serve was great today, especially in the first set,” she said.
It was not the start to 2018 that Ostapenko wanted, with the first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open, starting in 12 days.
Earlier there had been disappointment for the home crowd when Chinese number three seed Zhang Shuai was bundled out in three sets by Kazakhstan’s Zarina Diyas. — AFP