NOW DOUS PROUD JO!
As Murray crashes out and hints he may take a break from tennis...
REIGNING champion Andy Murray limped out of Wimbledon after his dodgy hip gave way yesterday.
The world number one was two sets to one up against Sam Querrey when he stretched for a shot then turned to his team and mouthed: ‘It’s gone.’
He was crushed on Centre Court by the 6ft6in American, who sits 27 places beneath him in the rankings.
Murray, 30, had hoped to join Johanna Konta, 26, in the semi-finals, making it the first time since 1967 that there were two Britons in Wimbledon’s last four.
But the two-time champion was outclassed by underdog Querrey, who stormed through the last two sets as Murray found it increasingly difficult to move around Centre Court.
A shattered Murray said afterwards: ‘The whole tournament I’ve been a little bit sore. But I tried my best right to the end. You know, gave everything I had. I’m proud about that. But it’s obviously disappointing to lose at Wimbledon. I’m sad that it’s over.’
Murray will sit down with coach Ivan Lendl and the rest of his team today to discuss where they go from here, with the priority being making sure he is able to move freely the next time he sets foot on a tennis court.
Murray’s hip problem has bothered him for a long time and he could face a lengthy lay-off.
‘I’ll get the best advice I can, then stick with that,’ he said. ‘If it means taking a few weeks’ rest, then so be it. If it means training and doing the right rehab and stuff, then I’ll do that.’ However, Murray will retain his world number one slot after Novak Djokovic pulled out of his quarter- final with an elbow injury.
Querrey won the five- set epic cheered on by his model girlfriend Abby Dixon, while Murray’s pregnant wife Kim and his mother Judy watched in disbelief as he lost 6-3 4-6 7-6 1-6 1-6.
It was the tenth consecutive Wimbledon quarter-final for Murray. He appeared to struggle with his movement during the match and was clutching his hip in the final set. After the match, he refused to go into details about the hip complaint, which he said had been bothering him for a ‘very long time’.
He said: ‘ Obviously as you get older, things are a little bit tougher to manage than they are when you’re younger.’
Last night Murray backed Miss Konta to take the title at SW19. He said: ‘I hope she goes on to win the tournament. She’s certainly got a fantastic chance.
‘I saw quite a lot of the match yesterday. She played extremely well under a lot of pressure. If she keeps playing like that, there’s no reason why she can’t do it.’
Tennis experts and fans said it was obvious Murray had been struggling with injury in the match, which lasted two hours and 42 minutes. Former British number one Tim Henman said: ‘He was certainly hobbling. At this stage of the tournament you know you have got to be 100 per cent ... With Murray’s movement, the writing was on the wall.’ World number 27 Querrey, who knocked Djokovic out of the tournament last year, is now the first American man to reach a Grand Slam semi-final since 2009.
Asked what it was like to ‘dash the hopes of an entire nation’, Querrey said: ‘He’s won the tournament before. It would be one
thing if they hadn’t had a champion in 80 years and he lost. But I don’t feel like I just ruined the hopes of every British person out there.’
But Murray scored one victory last night, after he was praised for correcting a reporter who said Sam Querrey was ‘the first American player to reach the semifinal of a slam since 2009’ while asking a question. Murray, correcting him, responded: ‘Male player’.
Tennis fans heaped praise on him, and his mother, Judy, said: ‘That’s my boy.’
Wimbledon veteran Roger Federer is now firm favourite to win a record eighth SW19 title. The 35-year-old is the highest ranked player left in the tournament after the shock exit of rivals Murray and Djokovic yesterday.
The Swiss star – who is ranked world number five – has not lost a set in the tournament so far and yesterday beat Canadian Milos Raonic in straight sets.
Federer, who wished his injured rivals a quick recovery, told reporters last night: ‘I’m playing very well. I’m rested, I’m fresh and I’m confident too.’