Murray: It isn’t a safe bid
SPORTS LOG
Andy Murray reckons it isn’t safe for tennis stars to commit to the ATP Tour’s crammed comeback.
The three- time Grand Slam champion lost 1- 6 6-3 10- 8 to British No. 1 Dan Evans in their Battle of the Brits semi-final yesterday.
The Tour is set to restart on August 14, with seven events – including two Grand Slams – in as many weeks.
The Scot said: “It’s tricky and they’ll have to think long and hard about what they’re going to do with the ranking points.
“It’s not safe for players to go from the semis or final in New York, quarters even, then you’re playing on the Tuesday in Madrid at altitude on the clay court, when players haven’t competed for a very long time.
“You’re going to have the potential where a lot of top players are not competing at many of the biggest events.
“None of the top players have competed a week before a Slam. The rankings, if you can keep the points as they are, could get a bit skewed.” Evans will face Kyle Edmund in today’s final. On Murray, Evans said: “His serve is coming back to its best. If he can do that for long periods of time there’s only one way he’s going again.”
Andy’s brother Jamie won the doubles in Roehampton, beating Evans and Lloyd Glasspool 0- 6 6-2 10- 6 with partner Neal Skupski. Dustin Johnson shot the lowest round of his PGA Tour career to catapult himself into contention at the Travelers Championship.
But world No. 1 Rory McIlroy slipped eight shots off the top in Connecticut after mixing f ive birdies with four bogeys in a 69.
Johnson shot a bogey-free 61 at TPC River Highlands to reach 16 under and sit two strokes behind fellow US pro Brendon Todd, who matched his round of nine under.
Phil Mickelson’s quest to become just the eighth 50-plus player to win on the PGA Tour was derailed – in fact one out-of-bounds shot came to rest on railway tracks bordering the 13th.
Lefty stumbled to a 71 to tumble back to 12 under.