MURRAY HAPPY TO BE BACK IN GROOVE

ANDY MURRAY flew Down Under last night after coming through a one-set exhibition match in Abu Dhabi.

The Scot lost 6-2 to Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut after Novak Djokovic (left, above) pulled out of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship because of his elbow injury.

Murray (left), who has been out since Wimbledon with a hip problem, dropped the first four games on his return and still limped around the court.

But the world No.16 said he had passed his fitness test and dashed to catch the last flight to Queensland after the match.

Murray plans to play in next week’s Brisbane International before the Australian Open starts on January 15.

But medical advice will almost certainly rule Djokovic out of the first Grand Slam of the season.

Murray said: “It was nice and I felt better as it went along – obviously a bit slow at the start. Roberto is one of the best players in the world and when you haven’t competed for a long while it takes time to get back up to that pace.”