Andy Murray is well on his way back, and he confirmed his participation in Shanghai after accepting a wild card. This means that the prestigious ATP1000 will be blessed by the presence of Roger Federer and Andy while it is not clear if Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic will play.
Andy Murray’s ranking and schedule
The former world no.1 is still ranked no.415 after he took almost all the season off following his hip operation. However, the Brit is back and pain-free, and he is fully aware that he needs to play more and more matches to regain his full fitness. After competing in doubles, Andy tried to play singles in Cincinnati and Winston-Salem, but eventually, he had to surrender with straight-sets defeats (see stats).
After competing at the Rafa Nadal Challenger in Mallorca where he lost in the 3rd round, the Brit is scheduled to play in Zhuhai, Beijing, and in Shanghai. Andy won Shanghai in 2010, 2011, and 2016.
The overall objective is not to win, but to get back to his former tennis and start next year fully fit.
Why Djokovic and Nadal may not play in Shanghai
While Roger Federer is expected to play in Shanghai, the ATP1000 may lose the top 2 players in the world. Djokovic is scheduled to play in Shanghai, but he might opt out because of his left shoulder injury. On the other side, it seems that Rafa didn’t plan to compete in China. However, since now he has a big chance to end the year as the world no.1, it seems plausible that he changes idea. The Spaniard said that he needs to listen to his body and talk with his team before taking the decision.
Andy Murray’s ranking and performance in 2019
Ranked no.415, Andy played his last match on the 29th of August when he surrendered to Matteo Viola 3-6 6-4 7-63 in the 3rd round in Mallorca Challenger.
Roger Federer’s ranking and performance in 2019
Ranked no.3, the Swiss played his last match on the 3rd of September when he had to bow to Grigor Dimitrov 3-6 6-4 3-6 6-4 6-2 in the quarter in U.S. Open.
This year Federer has a 43-7 win-loss record. Federer clinched 3 titles in 2019 in Dubai, in Miami and in Halle. The Swiss was the finalist in Indian Wells and in Wimbledon.
Andy Murray and Roger Federer played each other 26 times. The head to head is 14-12 for Federer.
The last time that they squared off, Roger Federer won 6-4 7-66 in the semifinal in Cincinnati in August 2015.
Andy Murray and Roger Federer |
| Embed from Getty Images |
