Injured Murray out of Australian Open

Former world number one Andy Murray withdrew from the Australian Open on Thursday after failing to recover from a hip injury, joining injured Japanese star Kei Nishikori on the sidelines.

The 30-year-old suffered the injury last year and has not played on the ATP tour since losing in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon.

“Sadly I won’t be playing in Melbourne this year, as I am not yet ready to compete,” Murray said in a statement.

“I’ll be flying home shortly to assess all the options but I appreciate all the messages of support and I hope to be back playing soon.”

Australian Open’s tournament director Craig Tiley said he respected what was a “very hard decision for Andy”.

“We are fully aware that Andy has been going through a difficult period with his hip and that he’s done everything possible to prepare for the Australian summer,” Tiley added.