Murray out of US Open singles and doubles

ANDY Murray won’t be competing in either singles or doubles tennis at this month’s US Open.

The former world No 1, who will face brother

Jamie in the men’s doubles quarter-finals at the Cincinnati Masters, had been scheduled to play doubles in New York.

However, he has opted to focus on singles events elsewhere as he bids to step up his return from the career-saving hip surgery he underwent in January.

“I’m not going to play doubles at the US Open,” Murray said.

“My goal is to get back playing at the level I want to on the singles court and I’ve decided I need to focus all my energies on that.

“The US Open, doubles and mixed, can be another couple of weeks that you are slowing things down.”

Murray and partner Feliciano Lopez beat Ryan Harrison and Jack Sock

2-6 6-3 10-7 to reach the last eight in Cincinnati after Jamie and Neal Skupski overcame French pair Nicolas Mahut and PierreHugues Herbert 6-3 6-3.

Murray will play in next week’s ATP event in Winston-Salem after being given a wild card. He will then consider entering a tournament on the Challenger Tour during the US Open, which starts on August 26.

In the Cincinnati singles, Roger Federer suffered a shock loss to qualifier Andrey Rublev in the third round.

Rublev, the world No 70, broke Federer three times as he powered to a 6-3 6-4 win in 62 minutes.

The defeat was a blow to 20-time major champion Federer’s US Open preparations.

Rublev will now play compatriot Daniil

Medvedev in the quarterfinals after the biggest win of his career.

World No 3 Federer said: “He was super clean, defence, offence, serving well. Didn’t give me anything. He was everywhere. So it was tough for me but an excellent match by him. I was impressed.”

Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic beat Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3 6-4. Djokovic will next play Lucas Pouille in their quarter-final.

Madison Keys beat Simona Halep for the first time in five years, winning 6-1 3-6 7-5 in a match that lasted almost two hours.