Serena and Andy set for Aussie return

ONE of the most significant voices in the tennis world is confident that Andy Murray and Serena Williams will be fit to return at the Australian Open in January. The words of Craig Tiley, the event’s tournament director, carry some weight because he is close to both players. ‘I can tell you that in talking to Andy, he has been training and is preparing for having a great year in 2018,’ said Tiley. ‘As competitive as Andy is, we know he’s back and he’ll want to improve his ranking of No 3 and get back to No 1.’ Murray has not played since Wimbledon. Equally fascinating is the potential return of Williams, who gave birth to a baby boy on September 1. ‘She wants to come back in 2018 and defend her title,’ said Tiley. Meanwhile, Nick Kyrgios is under investigation by the ATP Tour. After losing the first set to American Steve Johnson at the Shanghai Masters, Kyrgios shook hands before walking off court, apparently uninjured. Kyrgios said on Twitter he had a stomach upset and a sore shoulder.