Murray out of Miami Open with elbow injury

TENNIS

ANDY Murray last night confirmed his shock withdrawal from next week’s Miami Open.

The world No 1 revealed he has been suffering from an injury to his right elbow, although he remains hopeful of being fit for the clay-court season which gets under way in earnest in Monte Carlo in the middle of next month.

While more should be known about the extent of the injury in the next few days, the announcement casts early doubt on Murray’s participation in Great Britain’s Davis Cup tie against France in Rouen.

The Miami tournament organisers announced the Scot’s absence from an event which he has won twice, in 2009 and 2013, yesterday.

While he remains World No 1, the position he claimed for the first time after a stunning run of five consecutive tournament wins at the end of the year, Murray has made by his standards a mixed start to 2017.

After a defeat to Novak Djokovic in the Qatar Open final, there came an uncharacteristic last-16 exit to Mischa Zverev at the Australian Open.

While that setback appeared to behind the Scot when he took the title in Dubai, there was another surprise defeat this week at Indian Wells to Canada’s Vasek Pospisil.

The Scot may not be the only one of the world’s elite players who is unable to take his place in Florida.

French media claimed yesterday that his great rival Djokovic, who has taken the title for five of the last six years, including the last three editions, had travelled from Indian Wells to Monaco to have an apparently similar issue with his right elbow assessed by his doctor.

Meanwhile, Svetlana Kuznetsova rolled back the years to reach the final of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells for the first time in nine years.

The 31-year-old Russian put in a superb display to beat third seed Karolina Pliskova 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/2). Kuznetsova, a two-time Grand Slam champion and former world No 2, is enjoying a renaissance.

She will meet compatriot Elena Vesnina, who takes her place in her first final at this level, after beating Kristina Mladenovic of France 6-3 6-4.

Roger Federer faces Stan Wawrinka in the men’s final.