Former World No. 1 Andy Murray is set to make a premature end to his 2018 season in a bid to return to the best shape possible for the 2019 season.
Murray, 31, last competed at the 2018 US Open, where he lost in the second round to Fernando Verdasco in four sets. The Scot has elected to play two events during the Asian swing, starting with the Shenzhen Open and then Beijing before bringing the curtain down on what has been a turbulent year. That means he will miss the final two Masters 1000 tournaments in Shanghai and Paris, both events which he won in the past.
The 3-time Grand Slam champion has endured a stop-start season in which he has played just nine competitive matches, and is currently ranked at a lowly 308 position in the rankings. He reluctantly underwent hip surgery in Australia earlier this year before making his return at Queens.
Murray posted the video on his Facebook page of his decision to play just two more events before embarking on his preparations for Australia in 2019. He said, “I am competing this week in Shenzhen and then Beijing, before calling an end to this year competitively. I’m going to miss the last two tournaments of the year.”
He added, “I have decided with my team, I needed a long period of training and reconditioning to get myself in the best shape possible for the beginning of the 2019 season and competing for the biggest tournaments again.”
Murray is a former champion at the Longgang Sports Centre in Shenzhen when he won the inaugural Shenzhen Open defeating Tommy Robredo after saving five match points. Murray will hope for some sort of rejuvenation as he attempts to get back to the top of his game, something dearly missed.
The Shenzhen Open will officially start on Monday.
