Andy Murray won two consecutive singles matches for the first time since his hip replacement surgery, qualifying for the 1/4 finals of the Beijing tennis tournament.
The former No.1 beat his compatriot Cameron Norrie after 7: 6 (6), 6: 7 (4), 6: 1 in nearly three hours of play in the latest edition of China Open. He then faced and lost from Dominic Thiem.
Murray, 32, was looking for a return to optimal form and is struggling to succeed in an all-out British fight with Norrie. Previously, he started with a victory over US Open semi-finalist Matteo Berrettini to record his biggest success since returning to singles.
Murray’s run to the quarter-final at the China Open has seen him jump 214 places in the latest ATP Rankings from No. 503 to No. 289
The three-time Grand Slam champion said earlier that he no longer felt any pain in his thigh and that it was only a matter of time and training to be able to compete again in several consecutive tournament matches.
While expecting to make a full return, some of the top sportsbooks in the US are predicting this will not be the return he was hoping for.
About
Sir Andrew Barron Murray, OBE (born May 15, 1987) is a British professional tennis player from Scotland, ranked No.503 in men’s singles and 91 in men’s doubles as of September 30, 2019. Murray represents Great Britain in his sporting activities and is a three-time Grand Slam tournament winner, two-time Olympic champion, Davis Cup champion, winner of the 2016 ATP World Tour Finals, and former world No.1.
Murray defeated Novak Djokovic in the 2012 US Open final, becoming the first British player since 1977, and the first British man since 1936, to win a Grand Slam singles tournament. Murray is also the first British man to win multiple Wimbledon singles titles since Fred Perry in 1936, winning the tournament in 2013 and 2016.
Murray is the men’s singles 2012 and 2016 Olympic gold medalist, making him the only tennis player, male or female, to have won two Olympic singles titles. He featured in Great Britain’s Davis Cup-winning team in 2015, going 11–0 in his matches (8 singles and 3 doubles) as they secured their first Davis Cup title since 1936.
Coaches
Murray’s coaching staff has changed through the years and are as follows: Leon Smith (1998–2004), Pato Álvarez (2003–2005), Mark Petchey (2005–2006), Brad Gilbert (2006–2007), Miles Maclagan (2007–2010), Àlex Corretja (2010–2011), Ivan Lendl (2011–2014, 2016–2017), Amélie Mauresmo (2014–2016), Jonas Björkman (2015), Jamie Delgado (2016–).
Endorsements and equipment
In 2009, German manufacturer Adidas and Murray signed a five-year-deal worth £30 million. This included wearing their range of tennis shoes. The contract with Adidas allowed Murray to keep his shirt sleeve sponsors Shiatzy Chen, Royal Bank of Scotland and Highland Spring. Before he was signed by Adidas in late 2009, he wore Fred Perry apparel. At the end of their contract together Adidas decided not to re-sign with Murray, and he began a 4-year partnership with athletic apparel company Under Armour in December 2014, reportedly worth $25 million. Murray signed with Castore for the 2019 season which Murray called his last deal before announcing his retirement.
Murray uses Head rackets, and regularly appears in advertisements for the brand. He endorses the Head Radical Pro model, whereas his actual playing racket (underneath the various Radical Pro paintjobs) is reported to be a customized pro stock PT57A, derived from the original Pro Tour 630 model, but with a 16×19 string pattern. The racquet used to be set up extremely heavy at the beginning of his career, but after a 2007 wrist injury its weight was lowered.
In June 2012, the Swiss watch manufacturer Rado announced that Murray had signed a deal to wear their D-Star 200 model.
