Murray nets place at beloved US Open
FORMER champion Andy Murray has been added to the main draw of the US Open following the withdrawal of Swiss Stan Wawrinka.
Murray, who had hip surgeries in 2018 and 2019, has only played a handful of ATP Tour-level events this year having missed the Australian Open because of a positive Covid-19 test and opting out of competing at the French Open.
The 34-year-old reached the third round at Wimbledon but withdrew from the men’s singles tournament at the Tokyo Olympics on the advice of his medical team, dashing his hopes for a third consecutive gold medal.
Murray, who won the first of his three career Grand Slam titles at the 2012 US Open, did represent Britain in the men’s doubles event in Tokyo where he lost in the quarter-finals.
At last year’s US Open, Murray suffered a straight-sets loss in the second round to Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Wawrinka, who captured the last of his three career Grand Slam titles at the 2016 US Open, withdrew as he continues to recover from foot surgery.
The 36-year-old former world No3 underwent an operation on his left foot this year and has not played on the tour since an opening round defeat at the Qatar Open in March.
The US Open runs from August 30 to September 12.
Meanwhile, Germany’s Andrea
Petkovic won her first WTA singles title in six years with a straight-sets victory over Mayar Sherif at the inaugural Winners Open in Romania.
The former world No9 reached the final in two of her last three events. ‘I was ready to retire, I almost did retire, I started five new jobs. Now being back to what I love most, tennis, and winning at it, is just the best feeling,’ said the 33-year-old after her win.