The mood from Andy Murray’s camp, as the former world No 1 and two-time Wimbledon champion not only withdrew from Washington DC’s Citi Open quarter-finals on Friday night but also next week’s Rogers Cup in Toronto, was one step back to take two, three or many more forward.
After tearfully walking off court past 3am on Friday morning, Murray cited a basic case of exhaustion for allowing Australian youngster Alex de Minaur to move unhindered into the last four of the tournament. And it is hardly surprising after spending a total of eight hours and 11 minutes on court in three matches.
Before arriving in the United States, the 31-year-old Scot had only played three ATP World Tour matches after an 11-month absence from the