Murray flies to UK for tests on injured elbow

Tennis: Scot to miss Davis Cup clash

Andy Murray is to undergo tests following his withdrawal from the Miami Open, Press Association Sport understands.

The world No 1 pulled out of this week’s Masters series tournament on Saturday because of a right elbow injury.

Murray has stayed in Miami, where he has a second home, but flew back to London last night.

He will have tests on his elbow and has been told to rest for the next week or so, with the Scot understood also to be a little under the weather.

Murray was diagnosed with shingles following his shock fourth-round exit from the Australian Open in January but insisted he was fully recovered when he returned to action in Dubai in February.

He won that tournament but then suffered another surprise defeat to Canada’s Vasek Pospisil in his first match in Indian Wells earlier this month.

Despite Murray’s difficult start to the season, he has substantially extended his lead at the top of the rankings because of the struggles of main rival Novak Djokovic.

Djokovic failed to defend his titles in Australia and Indian Wells and has also withdrawn from Miami – where he has won the title the last three years – with an elbow injury.

It now seems highly unlikely that Murray will take part in Great Britain’s Davis Cup quarter-final against France in Rouen in a little over two weeks.

Having missed the first-round victory over Canada, the 29-year-old had been optimistic about returning to Leon Smith’s side.

But Murray’s priority must be getting fully healthy as soon as possible, with the Scot defending a huge amount of ranking points from May onwards.

Murray is already playing catch-up to Roger Federer in the 2017 standings following the 35-year-old’s remarkable start to the season.

Federer has accumulated 3,045 points so far, while Murray stands only 10th in the yearly table on 840.

Meanwhile Dan Evans was hit with a point penalty for swearing as he crashed out of the Miami Open to American qualifier Ernesto Escobedo.

The British No 2 was penalised midway through the deciding set as he slipped to a disappointing 7-5 0-6 6-3 defeat.

Heather Watson failed to repeat her heroics at the same tournament last year as she fell to a costly defeat to Romanian qualifier Patricia Maria Tig.

Watson’s 7-6 (7/4) 6-1 loss means she will drop the ranking points she accrued on her run to the fourth round 12 months ago, and is set to slip further away from the top 100.

Andy Murray: told to rest.