Three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray has been out of action for some time due to a hip injury. The 32-year-old former world number one had been dealing with a hip injury that made him contemplate retirement at the beginning of this year. However, the British star underwent successful hip surgery and with no pain in his hip, he plans to make a comeback and compete with the famous “Big Three” of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic.
Protected ranking
Due to his prolonged absence from the game, Murray is currently ranked 415th on the ATP rankings. The former number one ranked player can, however, use his protected ranking of number 2 in the world to enter major tournaments. Murray plans to do just that as play in the ATP cup in Australia which will take place from 3rd to 12th January next year. Murray said that he looked forward to playing in the tournament. “If I use my protected (ranking), I will play as the number one player. I think if you are playing in a competition like that, the best player should be picked to play. The Australian Open would be a priority for me. And I don’t want to go there and not play any matches. So, I am finding that quite a difficult choice to make.” Injured players in tennis can use their protected rankings to get into tournaments after injuries.
Can still win against rivals
Rivals Federer, Nadal and Djokovic are also set to feature in the tournament. Asked if he looked forward to competing against them, Murray expressed confidence that he still had what it takes to compete with the top stars. Murray said, “For years… I competed against them, although I haven’t won every time. I’ve lost more than I’ve won but I always went out onto court feeling I could win. I don’t know if I’d enjoy going out on the court against them knowing I’m going to lose or feeling like I had no chance. That would probably be psychologically challenging.
Need to be patient
Murray noted that he needs to be patient if he is to compete with his contemporaries and that first he needs to work on his fitness. “I need to be patient and not expect too much too soon.But maybe in four or five months, I can get there. In terms of how I’m hitting the ball in practice – the skill is still there.I physically need to get a little better and hopefully over time I get a little bit faster. I think I will.”
Andy Murray |
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