Andy Murray out of Cincinnati

Andy Murray has been forced to withdraw from the Cincinnati Masters because of injury. The decision means that the world No.1, who has not played since losing in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon to Sam Querrey, will not play in any of the US Open lead-up events.

“Unfortunately I won’t be playing in Cincinnati as I continue my recovery,” Murray said in a short statement on social media. “I always enjoy playing there and I look forward to returning next year. I’m continuing to work hard on the court with the aim of being in New York.”

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It’s another setback for the former US Open champion, who had hoped for an expedited recovery from the hip injury that has been dogging him since the French Open.

Murray was able to play through the pain during the grass court season, but failed to rediscover the form that propelled him to the top of the world rankings in 2016. A second round loss at Queen’s was followed by a withdrawal from a traditional pre-Wimbledon exhibition event, and then the quarterfinal defeat to Querrey, where the Brit was clearly injured towards the end of the match.

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As a result of his withdrawal from both the Rogers Cup and Cincinnati, it now seems certain that Murray will surrender the world No.1 to Rafael Nadal before the final Grand Slam of the year.

The news also comes as a further blow to the ATP, who have already seen Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka call premature time on their seasons because of injury.