Rusedski backing Murray
Former British number one Greg Rusedski believes Andy Murray is right to be cautious about undergoing hip surgery.
Murray has been mulling over his options since making the decision a week and a half ago that he was not fit enough to compete at the US Open.
The world number one announced yesterday that he has opted for rest and rehabilitation, with the likelihood that he will take the rest of the season off.
Former British number one Rusedski’s career was effectively ended by a hip injury.
He said: “I had a little tear in my labrum near the end of my career and the doctor told me, ‘Take six weeks off and hopefully it’ll get better and everything will get stable’.
“For me, unfortunately, it didn’t get as stable as I would have liked because my back would pop out but now everything’s fine - so the more time you take out, the better you recover.”
If Murray’s hip cooperates, the Scot plans to start his 2018 season in Brisbane, when he is likely to be ranked well outside the top 10.
Rusedski said: “Let’s hope it’s not too serious and he doesn’t need surgery for it because it would be great to have Andy Murray back, especially with what he’s done in his career and how well he’s played over the last few years. Federer was out of the top 16 seeds in the Australian Open this year so I wouldn’t worry about seedings.”