Murray: This will be my last season in tennis
ANDY Murray has confirmed he is set to retire this summer after losing to Ugo Humbert in the second round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
The Scot produced his best win for several months in the first round by seeing off
Denis Shapovalov, but fell to a 6-2 6-4 loss against 18th-ranked Frenchman Humbert.
Following the defeat, the 36-year-old said of his future: “I’m likely not going to play past this summer.
“I get asked about it after every single match that I play, every single tournament that I play. I’m bored of the question, to be honest.
“I’m not going to talk more about that between now and whenever the time comes for me to stop.
But, yes, I don’t plan on playing much past this summer.”
Murray has not won more than a single match at any tournament since August and, after beating Shapovalov, the Scot talked about trying to do his best “these last few months”.
Murray has said previously he has an idea of when he would like to bow out, and he told Radio 4’s Today programme: “When the time is right I will probably say something before I play my last match and my last tournament.
“There’s no right way of finishing your career and everyone is different so what might be the right way for [Roger] Federer might not be the right way for [Rafael] Nadal, might not be the right way for [Novak] Djokovic.”
While Wimbledon appears the most logical venue for Murray to call time on his glittering career, the Scot is tempted by another crack at the Olympics in Paris this summer.
Murray is the only tennis player to have won back-to-back singles gold medals, in London and Rio, and he said: “Hopefully I can get the chance to compete at another one.”
If the Scot does not qualifying by ranking – he has slipped down the standings to 67 – he could seek a spot in the draw as a previous champion.
Murray dropped serve twice in succession in the opening set against Humbert and was unable to apply any real pressure on his opponent’s delivery, winning just seven return points during the contest.
The second set was a little closer, but Murray cut a thoroughly frustrated figure, ranting at himself and smacking the umpire’s chair with his racket, as he attempted to trade with the cleanhitting Frenchman, who clinched victory after only an hour-and-a-half.
ATHLETICS Three British marathon runners will make their Olympic debuts in Paris after hitting the required qualifying times.
Charlotte Purdue, Calli HaugerThackery and Phil Sesemann become the first members of the athletics team to be formally selected.
Sesemann secured his place after running inside the qualifying standard at the Seville Marathon earlier this month, while Purdue and Hauger-Thackery hit the required times in races last year.
Team GB Chef de Mission Mark England said: “All three athletes are making their Olympic debuts and I am sure they will relish the opportunity.”