Pain-free Murray targets competitive return after hip surgery

[March 06, 2019]  (Reuters) - Andy Murray is looking to make a comeback to the tennis circuit and possibly play doubles at Wimbledon after he revealed he is now pain free following hip resurfacing surgery in January this year.

Three-times Grand Slam champion Murray said before his first round exit at the Australian Open in January that the tournament could be his last as a professional due to severe hip pain, with the surgery aimed at improving his quality of life.

"I want to continue playing for sure. I have no pain in my hip anymore," Murray told Sky News.

"The rehab is slow but going pretty well. I just need to wait and see how things progress. If it's possible I'd love to compete again.

"All of the surgeons that I've spoken to have been very honest about that and we just have to wait and see."

Murray had also hoped to play at this year's Wimbledon, a tournament he has won twice. But the 31-year-old said he might consider playing doubles, like American Bob Bryan did after a similar procedure, as it put less stress on the hip.

"I think for singles, most likely it would be (too soon to play at Wimbledon). I can't say for sure," Murray added.

"But doubles, I mean Bob Bryan was back playing at the Australian Open after 5-1/2 months so Wimbledon comes pretty much 5-1/2 months after I'd had my operation.

Britain's Andy Murray reacts during the match against Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut. REUTERS/Edgar Su

"I communicate with him daily about starting the rehab that he was doing and things that worked and didn't."

Murray also said he would give himself "seven or eight months" before taking a call on whether he would continue playing competitively.

"By then I'll know definitively this is as good as it's going to get. That's kind of the time frame that I've set myself in my head that if things aren't going well," he said.

"It takes time for muscles and things to heal properly and me to get used to moving around with it. But I'd say that would be a fair amount of time before I'd be able to say definitively this isn't good enough or this actually feels great."

(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)

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