Murray hints at imminent return to singles
Andy Murray last night suggested he might return to singles action before the US Open, just six months on from career-saving surgery, although one of Britain’s leading hip specialists has warned the Scot is months off reaching his peak.
Murray continues his comeback in the Washington Citi Open this week, having taken a wild card to play with his brother Jamie in the doubles. Last night Murray said the “best, best case scenario” could see him playing singles in next month’s Cincinnati Open, although were that to happen, he probably would not play singles again until after the US Open.
Prof Max Fehily, consultant orthopaedic surgeon and clinical director at the Manchester Hip Clinic, told The Daily Telegraph Murray may not be firing on all cylinders for at least another six months. Murray remained reluctant to launch into full lunges in the doubles at Queen’s and Wimbledon because soft tissue is still repairing around the joint, Fehily explained.
He said he did not know of any professional tennis player who had returned to playing at the highest level so quickly. “It’s amazing to be able to do that at five months,” he said of Murray’s performances, most recently at Wimbledon, where he appeared in the men’s doubles and the mixed doubles.
Murray’s recovery was “very much” positive, Fehily said. “He is ahead of schedule in his recovery, but may not be back to his full recovery for 12 to 18 months. We’re six months into that recovery.” Murray’s best early hope of a meaningful singles onslaught, he said, may be the Australian Open in January.