Murray pulls out of Cologne event
ANDY MURRAY has withdrawn from this week’s ATP Tour event in Cologne because of a lingering pelvic problem.
The former world No. 1 revealed ahead of the French Open last month that he had been forced to rest following a second- round loss at the US Open because of tendinitis in his left psoas muscle, which connects the spine to the femur.
Murray said he had felt good physically once he began training on clay but he suffered a chastening first- round loss to Stan Wawrinka in Paris and was then beaten by Fernando Verdasco in his opening match in Cologne last Tuesday.
The Scot had been due to stay on in the German city for this week’s second tournament, the bett1HULKS Championships, where he had been drawn to face Serbia’s Danilo Petrovic, but his body once again is not co- operating.
It is understood to be a niggling problem rather than something that has flared up in the last few days and Murray is still hoping to play again this season. But it now appears unlikely that he will compete at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna starting on October 26, although the Paris Masters the following week is understood to be a possibility.
The news is yet another indication, though, that Murray’s biggest challenge if he remains committed to trying to return to the upper echelons of the sport will simply be staying fit.
There was a good deal of optimism 12 months ago after he returned ahead of schedule following his hip resurfacing operation and won an emotional title in Antwerp.
It appeared Murray’s comeback would gather pace in 2020 but a combination of a complication from the hip surgery that kept him sidelined for the first two months of the year and the hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic means he has only played four tournaments, winning three matches.
The 33- year- old was downbeat after his loss to Verdasco, saying: “I need to practise, I need to play matches and physically I need to get better. I need to get back to playing my game on the court. I’ve kind of gone away from that a little bit.”
One player in fine form in Cologne is Alexander Zverev who won his first title of the year by beating Felix Auger- Aliassime in straight sets to win yesterday’s bett1HULKS Indoors final.
The German world No. 7, runnerup at the US Open, beat Canadian youngster AugerAliassime 6- 3, 6- 3.
“I had a very tough final in New York and the next final I played here I wanted to come out and obviously play my best tennis, finish the match,” Zverev, the top seed, said on court after his victory..
“Felix, you’re an unbelievable player. I know it doesn’t mean much right now, but I’m sure you are not only going to win one title, you’re going to win multiple, multiple titles in your career, bigger titles than this.
“We know each other incredibly well. You’re going to be lifting a winner’s trophy very soon.”
At the St Petersburg Open top seed Andrey Rublev took the honours. The Russian world No. 10, looking to stay on track for a place at the ATP Finals in London for the first time, beat Croatia’s Borna Coric 7- 6 ( 7- 5), 6- 4.
Serbia’s Laslo Djere won the Sardegna Open with a 7- 6 ( 7- 3), 7- 5, victory over Marco Cecchinato of Italy.