Andy Murray puts focus into singles return

Andy Murray has decided against competing at the US Open in the doubles events as he wants to concentrate on making a return to singles action.

The three-time Grand Slam champion underwent hip resurfacing surgery after the Australian Open in January. Murray went down 6-4 6-4 to Richard Gasquet in Cincinnati in his first competitive singles match since that operation earlier this month and had initially intended to compete in New York in the men’s and mixed doubles events.

The former world number one is involved in the doubles with partner Feliciano Lopez in Cincinnati and they are through to the last eight but Murray says he wants to now focus on a singles return, potentially with a view to competing at the Australian Open at the start of next season.

“I’m not going to play doubles at the US Open,” Murray told the BBC. “My goal is to get back playing at the level that I want to on the singles court, and I’ve decided that I need to focus all my energies on that right now.

“The US Open, doubles and mixed, can be another couple of weeks that you are slowing things down.” Murray is due to play in the ATP Winston-Salem Open next week and could enter a tournament on the Challenger Tour during the second week of the US Open, with the event at New Haven a likely option.

The Scot will play in Zhuhai and Beijing next month on the Asian swing of the ATP Tour. Murray is 15.00 to win the Australian Open next year. Novak Djokovic is rated at 2.00 to win this year’s US Open and Rafael Nadal can be backed at 5.00.