Is Murray coming up short in his comeback bid?
Fears are growing over andy Murray’s readiness for next month’s australian Open — if he goes to Melbourne at all. The former world No 1 was still in Britain yesterday, having returned last Tuesday from training in Miami.
His original plan was to be in australia before Christmas but his departure now appears to have been delayed.
Murray, who has not played an official event since mid- July at Wimbledon, Wi bl d i is one of f th three bi big names due to make comebacks. serena Williams and stan Wawrinka also hope to return to action but their plans are still unconfirmed with the start of the season now only 10 days away.
His management team insist he will be travelling to australia and he hopes to compete in the Brisbane Open, starting on January 1.
The scot, 30, could yet arrive in good time and that would seem a sensible move after a long lay-off. at this stage you would expect him to be cranking up preparations given the testing conditions he will face in australia.
although he has been having drill sessions with coach Jamie Delgado, Murray is not on the now- closed entry list for the doubles in Brisbane — an event that may have tempted a player returning from injury.
Murray is battling a nagging hip condition that first seemed to handicap him in June’s French Open, where he made the semifinals. since his early exit from Queen’s and quarter-final defeat at Wimbledon Murray has seen half-a-dozen specialists, and said last month that he would continue trying rehab rather than any surgical option.
Murray did manage to play roger Federer in Glasgow to raise funds for his charitable foundation on November 7. although he hit the ball sweetly, he looked short of his usual standards and seemed to have a slight limp.
It is possible that he could delay his departure to australia but he would surely want to play a regular tour event before tackling a Grand slam.
Murray, whose wife Kim gave birth to their second daughter in early November, is not alone in having doubts swirl around him. Yesterday, Wawrinka and Milos raonic pulled out of next week’s exhibition event in abu Dhabi. switzerland’s Wawrinka says he is not ready after knee surgery.
There have also been conflicting signals coming from serena Williams, 36, who is entered at Melbourne after giving birth to her first child on september 1.
The american was seemingly booked to speak at a conference in Florida on January 23. Yesterday, however, a hotel group announced she would be at the australian Open as their ‘official ambassador’.
On social media she referred recently to the trials of motherhood, along with the odd tennis reference, and at 5am yesterday reported that she was ‘ thinking about tacos’. There does not appear to be anything conclusive about her plans as yet.