BRAVE MURRAY: I GAVE IT EVERYTHING TO WIN
Andy Murray said he did the best he could after his Wimbledon title defence was brought to an end in the quarter-finals by Sam Querrey and his dodgy hip.
The top seed has limped throughout the tournament and lost 12 of the last 13 games in a 3-6 6-4 6-7 (4/7) 6-1 6-1 loss to Querrey.
Murray was forced to take two days away from the practice courts on the eve of the tournament before declaring himself fit.
He managed to defeat Alexander Bublik, Dustin Brown, Fabio Fognini and Benoit Paire but Querrey proved a challenge too far.
Murray said: “The whole tournament I’ve been a little bit sore. But I tried my best right to the end, gave everything I had. I’m proud about that.
“But it’s obviously disappointing to lose at Wimbledon. There’s obviously an opportunity there. So I’m sad that it’s over.”
Murray will sit down with coach Ivan Lendl and the rest of his team today to discuss where they go from here, with the priority being to ensure the next time the Scot sets foot on a tennis court he is able to move freely.
The US Open is less than seven weeks away but both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have shown this season the benefit of taking a lengthy break.
Murray said: “Before the tournament, it was very short-term because you want to play Wimbledon.
“I’ll get the best advice I can, then stick with that. If it means taking a few weeks’ rest, then so be it. If it means training and doing the right rehab and stuff, then I’ll do that.
“I did the best that I could. Obviously I managed to get through a bunch of matches and did okay.
“The US Open’s six, seven weeks away. I’ll sit down with my team tomorrow and come up with a plan for what I have to do next.”
Murray declined to go into specifics on his hip problem but said earlier in the tournament it is something that has affected him on and off for the better part of a decade.
“I’ve been dealing with it for a very long time during my career,” he said. “Obviously as you get older, things are a little bit tougher to manage. There’s a bit more wear and tear there.
“I’m sure moving forward I’ll be able to get through it. I just need to do all of the right things and be even more diligent and professional than I have been recently.
“I feel like I’ve done all of the right stuff, but I’ll try to do more, try to get myself in better shape. Hopefully I’ll come through the other side of it a better player, a better athlete.
“This year has obviously been frustrating at times. It’s not been the easiest. But I’ll want to obviously come back and try and compete for majors.”
The hip problem is the latest physical issue in a difficult season for Murray, who has also been afflicted by shingles, an elbow injury and two bouts of flu.
He has only won one title, in Dubai in February, but Novak Djokovic’s retirement against Tomas Berdych means Murray will hang on to the world number one ranking for now.