Murray hopes to be fit enough by
next year to play Federer, Nadal
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[September 13, 2019]
(Reuters) - Former world number
one Andy Murray said he still needs four or five months to play
top-level tennis so that he can again take on old rivals Roger
Federer and Rafa Nadal after career-saving hip surgery earlier this
year.
The 32-year-old is regaining his fitness after a hip resurfacing
procedure in January, and late last month recorded the first two
victories of his singles comeback at the Rafa Nadal Open Challenger
tournament in Mallorca before making a third-round exit.
Briton Murray, who has dropped to 415 in the world rankings, will
next compete in Zhuhai, Beijing and Shanghai in the Asian swing of
the ATP tour this year, but the three-times major winner thinks that
it will be 2020 before he is "maybe" able to face the challenge of
playing Federer or Nadal.
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"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," Murray told Sky Sports.
"I don't know if I'd enjoy going out on court against them knowing
I'm going to lose or feeling like I had no chance. That would
probably be psychologically challenging... 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."
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![](../images/091319pics/sports51.jpg)
Andy Murray (GBR) serves against Richard Gasquet (FRA) during the
Western and Southern Open tennis tournament at Lindner Family Tennis
Center. Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo![FILE PHOTO: Tennis: Western and Southern Open](https://www.reutersconnect.com/api/preview/image/tag:reuters.com,2019:newsml_LYNXNPEF8C0J5:1/tag:reuters.com,2019:binary_LYNXNPEF8C0J5-VIEWIMAGE?dimensions=800x800)
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Murray is hopeful of being picked in Britain's Davis Cup team for
the Nov. 18-24 Finals in Madrid, adding he would be happy playing
only doubles if necessary.
"If I'm selected I'll play. I don't want to play or be selected just
because four years ago I played really well," Murray, who guided
Britain to the title in 2015, added.
"I'd like to help and be in the team and play singles, but if I was
asked to play doubles I'd probably do that."
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Simon
Cameron-Moore)
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