By Mike McIntyre
Is there a bigger question mark in men's tennis to start the 2019 season than what we can expect from former World No. 1 Andy Murray?
After being forced to go through major hip surgery early in the 2018 season, Murray returned for a mere 6 tournaments that saw him continue to limp around the court at times. The three time Grand Slam champ and two time Olympic Gold Medalist was considered to belong to the "Big Four" along with Djokovic, Federer and Nadal prior to his injury woes but is now ranked 240th in the ATP Tour rankings due to his restricted tournament play.
Murray started this season at the Brisbane International and won his opening round match in straight sets 6-3, 6-4 against Australia's James Duckworth who is ranked 234th in the world. His second round match was - as expected - another story as he faced 16th ranked Daniil Medvedev. Murray's Russian opponent is a player on the rise in the men's game and after Murray held pace for 5-5 in the opening set, the young talent broke free to win six straight games and take a strangle-hold on the match. Medvedev would prevail 7-5, 6-2 in just over an hour and twenty minutes.
Murray's play understandably faded as the match wore on as the 31 year old still seems to be lacking the confidence in his physical abilities on the court. How much of that was due to the hip is unknown, although Murray did admit to some struggles during the match. His comments after the loss did not exactly inspire much confidence in his long-term potential to return to his previous form.
"OK. Not perfect," Murray said. "Better than how I was competing a few months ago, when I was playing and competing back-to-back days."
With the Australian Open less than two weeks away, it is hard to imagine Murray being capable of lasting long in a best-of-five set format. And if that hip is still problematic 12 months post-op, what are the odds that he ever going to be able to play pain-free?
If not for the comments about the continuing hip issues, it would still be expected that there would be a period of adjustment to being back to playing a regular schedule on the tour. Most players do not experience an immediate return to form like Roger Federer did where he won in his Grand Slam return in Melbourne in 2017. Most players need more time than that to get back to what they once were. Even current No. 1 Novak Djokovic took a few months where he looked like a fragile version of his former self before he returned to his dominating ways at Wimbledon last summer. The difference with Federer and Djokovic however is that they both seemed 100% fit when they came back, while Murray is clearly anything but.
While Murray may never get back to Grand Slam winning form, it would be a shame to see him unable to continue his career on his own terms. Aside from his tennis prowess, he's been a wonderful ambassador for the sport and a has been a true proponent for equality between the ATP and WTA Tour's - something that should be, but too often is not, the norm.
Perhaps the hip issues are less concerning than Murray's fans are no doubt wondering at present time. Match competition is different from practice and it could be that Murray simply needs to get his body re-adjusted to the rigors of competition. If so, one wonders if even entertaining the thought of playing best-of-five matches is in his immediate best interests. We'll find out soon enough as the January 14th start day at the Aussie Open is quickly approaching.
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‘OK. Not perfect. Better than how I was competing a few months ago, when I was playing and competing back-to-back days.’
Read more: https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/02/already-learned-2019-murray-nadal-struggle-djokovic-federer-enjoy-solid-starts-8303180/?ito=cbshare
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MetroUK | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MetroUK/
‘OK. Not perfect. Better than how I was competing a few months ago, when I was playing and competing back-to-back days.’
Read more: https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/02/already-learned-2019-murray-nadal-struggle-djokovic-federer-enjoy-solid-starts-8303180/?ito=cbshare
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MetroUK | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MetroUK/
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