Andy Murray withdraws from US Open because of ongoing hip injury

Andy Murray has pulled out of the US Open two days before the start of the tournament in New York after failing to recover from a hip injury.

The British world number two, 30, has not played since Wimbledon, when he was hampered by the injury as he lost to Sam Querrey in the quarter-finals.

Murray practised all week but said on Saturday the injury remained an issue.

“It’s too sore for me to win the tournament and ultimately that’s what I was here to try and do,” said the Scot.

The 2012 US Open champion was due to face American world number 104 Tennys Sandgren in the first round.

It is the first time since the French Open in 2013 that Murray has withdrawn from a Grand Slam tournament.

He revealed during Wimbledon that he had suffered with a sore hip at times since his early twenties, but it became more significant following his French Open semi-final loss against Stan Wawrinka in June.

Murray’s preparation for Wimbledon was cut back and he ultimately succumbed to Querrey in five sets at the All England Club.

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He was forced to pull out of tournaments in Montreal and Cincinnati as he underwent rehabilitation in the UK, but travelled to New York on 18 August with the expectation of playing the US Open.

“I did pretty much everything that I could to get myself ready here and took a number of weeks off after Wimbledon,” added Murray, who has lost the world number one ranking to Rafael Nadal since Wimbledon.

“I obviously spoke to a lot of hip specialists. Tried resting, rehabbing, to try and get myself ready here.

“I was actually practising OK the last few days.”

Asked if he had risked potential further damage by attempting to play at Flushing Meadows, Murray added: “I certainly wouldn’t have been hurting myself more by trying to play. It was more a question of whether it would settle down in time.

“Obviously I kind of ran out of time. Maybe if I’d been able to take a little bit more time off.”

Murray joins last year’s finalists Wawrinka and Novak Djokovic – both of whom have chosen to end their seasons because of injuries – in a lengthy list of absentees in New York, but he hopes to return to action in 2017.

Croatian fifth seed Marin Cilic will move up to Murray’s place in the draw and face Sandgren in the first round on Monday.

Analysis

By Russell Fuller, BBC tennis correspondent at Flushing Meadows:

A slight limp was still visible when Murray took to the practice court on Saturday lunchtime. He was striking the ball well against Lucas Pouille and looked in better shape than he had done at the same stage before Wimbledon, but there was a zip and intensity missing from the session – for good reason, as it now appears.

Perhaps Murray could have made this decision 10 days ago before flying to New York to step up his preparations, but better late than never. There is no point in him playing an event he has virtually no chance of winning, however open the draw may seem.

Having already consulted a range of specialists, Murray sounded quite sure he would be able to decide on his next move over the next couple of days. He did not address the need for surgery, but surely it remains an option, and perhaps we will not see him again this year.

Whatever the plan, Murray’s focus must now be entirely on 2018. He will not win Grand Slams if he is only 80% fit, and unable to move with the speed and purpose which have brought him so much success thus far.

Becker’s Wimbledon warning plays out

Following Murray’s Wimbledon exit in July, BBC Sport pundit and six-time Grand Slam winner Boris Becker advised Murray to consider skipping the US Open.

“Age is only a number, but you only have one body. Andy has to look after his,” said Becker.

“He has got to think long term, not worry about making the US Open – if he is moving there like he did at Wimbledon, then he won’t win it anyway.

“So, the worst thing that can happen if he skips New York is that he misses one Grand Slam – that doesn’t matter, because the Australian Open is around the corner at the start of 2018.”

Becker said Murray could learn from Nadal and Roger Federer, both of whom took long breaks from the game before returning fitter.

Nadal pulled out of the French Open in May 2016 with a wrist injury and did not play again until the Rio Olympics in August. He won his 10th title at Roland Garros earlier this year.

Federer missed the final five months of 2016 to recover from his knee injury but returned to win the Australian Open in January and Wimbledon in July.

“With this injury, there are limitations to Andy’s movement,” said Becker. “Andy relies on his speed and footwork, which are an integral part of his game.

“That is why he needs to be 100% fit. It’s no good for him to be 75%.”

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Murray Withdraws From US Open

Murray Withdraws From US Open

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Dimitrov Tops Zverev For Summer Masters Golden Hot Shot

Dimitrov Tops Zverev For Summer Masters Golden Hot Shot

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Johanna Konta: The 'massive rollercoaster fan' is hoping to avoid ups and downs

Johanna Konta is all about the preparation – whether it be a Grand Slam match or a trip to the funfair.

The British number one will resume her quest for a first major title at the US Open next week, with Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic, the world number 77, her first-round opponent.

Konta arrived in the US after finding time for some extra-curricular activities following her Wimbledon breakthrough.

A backstage pass for her favourite band U2 – “Bono kissed my hand, I haven’t washed it!” – could have been matched for excitement by a rare theme-park visit, if only she had got her strategy right.

“I’m a massive rollercoaster fan,” said the 26-year-old.

“I went in Cincinnati – really, really frustrated with my approach to it. I should have gone really early in the morning and got a fast-pass, because I only got on five rides in four hours.

“The last one I queued for an hour and, oh my goodness, it sucks the life out of you.”

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That appears to be about as stressful as things have got for Konta recently, despite a nerve-jangling run through Wimbledon that ended with defeat by Venus Williams in the semi-finals.

After climbing the rankings spectacularly from 147th to inside the world’s top 10 in two years, widespread national recognition finally came with that thrilling run at the All England Club.

Konta glows with pride when the television audience of 7.4 million viewers – the largest of Wimbledon 2017 – for her quarter-final win over Simona Halep is mentioned, but there has apparently been no hangover.

“It was probably my easiest Wimbledon experience, which was very interesting,” she said.

“I felt I did a very good job of digesting each match and each day very separately, and I was able to move on and recover for the next day.

“I didn’t feel like I had this big build-up of emotion, so once I came to the end of the championships I felt I was ready for the next one.”

The next one was in fact an opening-match defeat by Ekaterina Makarova in Toronto, before Konta won two matches in Cincinnati and eventually succumbed to world number two Halep.

“I think the quality of matches has been good,” said the Briton.

“Obviously the volume of matches – I could have gotten more, but I’m also happy I got have four great matches coming in.”

Konta has 36 wins and more than £2m in prize money to her name already this year, cementing her place in the top 10 and closing in on a debut appearance at the season-ending WTA Finals for the top eight players in the world.

However, shock results abound in a women’s tour that is notable for the even spread of talent, especially in the absence of an all-time great in Serena Williams.

Konta needed to find her very best as early as the second round at Wimbledon, eventually beating Donna Vekic, the world number 52, 10-8 in the final set.

“I really believe that it’s been that way for some time now,” she said.

“There haven’t been easy matches for quite some time and I think it’s a good thing that people start appreciating and actually noticing it.

“It’s a very exciting thing as a spectator coming to a Slam and knowing you’re going to have great matches all the way through and not just from the semi-finals.

“I think that’s a very positive thing for the sport in general.”

In line with many of her peers, Konta refuses to look past her first opponent and deeper into the draw, but she thrives on hard courts and there is every reason to believe she can improve on her fourth-round efforts of the past two years at Flushing Meadows.

She could even end the tournament as world number one, given an especially outlandish set of results, but that prospect is greeted with laughter, at least for now.

A gruelling two weeks lie ahead if Konta is to become the first British woman to win a major singles title since Virginia Wade 40 years ago.

“I approach every tournament from the get-go that it’s going to be tough and I accept that fact,” said Konta.

“I’m not looking for any confirmation or any relief because I’ve accepted the fact that from my first match, I’m going to have a tough battle.”

At least she can look forward to some more light relief when the day job is done, with a trip to Harry Potter World on the cards when her sister visits London in November.

It will be hard to live up to meeting her idols at last month’s U2 concert in Dublin, however.

“I got to meet Bono and The Edge before the show,” said Konta.

“I got invited backstage and intercepted them while they were heading to physio, which was so cool for me to hear – that they were doing physio!

“I was literally like, ‘Oh my god, they know my name!’ It was definitely a life-made moment.”

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GB's Edmund loses in Winston-Salem semis

British number two Kyle Edmund lost to Damir Dzumhur 1-6 7-5 6-3 in the semi-final of the Winston-Salem Open.

Edmund, 22, started well and won the first set before being overpowered by his opponent in North Carolina.

Dzumhur, ranked 67th in the world, is Bosnia’s first player to reach an ATP Tour final.

The 25-year-old will face Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut in the final, while Edmund will now prepare for the US Open, which starts on Monday.

Edmund, who reached the fourth round of the US Open in 2016, is up against Dutch veteran Robin Haase at Flushing Meadows.

“For such a small country as Bosnia, it’s a really big result,” Dzumhur said after reaching the final.

“So I’m proud of my country and proud of myself and it’s going to be a good day tomorrow.”

Bautista Agut, ranked 15th in the world, easily accounted for Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff 6-2 6-4 in the other semi-final.

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Bautista Agut To Face First-Time Finalist In Winston-Salem

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Rojer/Tecau Roll In Winston-Salem Final

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US Open: Cameron Norrie, British number five, reaches main draw

Cameron Norrie has booked his place in the main draw of the US Open with a 6-1 7-6 (7-5) win over Japan’s Go Soeda.

The British number five, ranked 226 in the world, had never played in Grand Slam qualifying before.

But he did not drop a set over three matches, beating Alexander Bublik, Sekou Bangoura and then Soeda.

The 22-year-old joins compatriots Andy Murray, Kyle Edmund, Aljaz Bedene, Johanna Konta and Heather Watson in the main draw.

Naomi Broady and Katie Boulter are due to play their final qualifiers later.

Norrie made his Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon, losing in the first round to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

The US Open gets under way at Flushing Meadows in New York on 28 August.

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US Open draw: Andy Murray faces Tennys Sandgren, Johanna Konta draws Aleksandra Krunic

British number one Andy Murray will face American world number 104 Tennys Sandgren in the first round of the US Open, while Johanna Konta will play Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic.

Konta, whose opponent is ranked 77, could face Simona Halep in the quarter-finals, as she did at Wimbledon.

However, the Romanian world number two will have to overcome wildcard Maria Sharapova at the first hurdle.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are seeded to meet in the men’s semi-final.

Third seed Federer will start against American youngster Francis Tiafoe and new world number one Nadal faces world number 84 Dusan Lajovic of Serbia.

British number two Kyle Edmund is up against Dutch veteran Robin Haase.

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The women’s defending champion, Germany’s Angelique Kerber, will take on Naomi Osaka of Japan but Stan Wawrinka, who beat Novak Djokovic in last year’s final, is one of several high-profile absentees, including Djokovic.

Wimbledon champion and world number three Garbine Muguruza of Spain will play Varvara Lepchenko of the US.

Halep v Sharapova the tie of the opening round

Sharapova will play in a Grand Slam for the first time since the Australian Open in 2016, where she gave the positive drugs test that put her out of the game for 15 months.

The US Open is the first Slam to award Sharapova, a former champion, a wildcard to the main draw since she returned from her ban.

Sharapova and second seed Halep, one of the title favourites, have played six times, including in the French Open final in 2014, with the Russian winning every time.

Elsewhere, Great Britain’s Heather Watson, who has suffered six consecutive first-round losses at the US Open, will attempt to end that streak against France’s Alize Cornet.

Top women’s seed Karolina Pliskova meets Poland’s Magda Linette,

Kind draw for Murray

Murray will test out the hip that troubled him during Wimbledon. The Scot has not played a match since his quarter-final exit at SW19, losing the world number one ranking to Nadal.

Sandgren, 26, only made his Grand Slam debut at the French Open this year, losing in the first round.

The first seed Murray is scheduled to meet is Argentine Diego Schwartzman in round three, with the likes of David Ferrer, Lucas Pouille and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga waiting after that.

Analysis

BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller

Sharapova remains a big attraction, and the match is certain to feature under the lights in prime time on one of the opening two nights.

The Russian has only played one match in the past three and a half months as injuries have hindered her return from a doping ban, but has a flawless record against Halep.

Nadal and Federer have never met at the US Open. If they do so, it will be in the semi-finals, with Murray drawn in the other half with the likes of Alex Zverev and Tsonga.

The absence of Djokovic and Wawrinka makes life simpler for those three, but Murray hasn’t played since Wimbledon, Federer has been struggling with a back injury and Nadal is yet to hit top form on hard courts this summer.

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