Murray showed his emotions as he spoke to his relief at being back and able to win again DAN PELED/EPAFor the past 18 months, Andy Murray has thrown everything into blocks of rehabilitation in a desperate attempt to fix the right hip issues that threaten his career. After one match of the 2019 season, there is a sense that, as dedicated as he is, the three-times grand slam champion is close to the end of his tether. This is not based on the evidence of his performance at the Brisbane International yesterday. Against James Duckworth, a 26-year-old Australian ranked No 234 in the world, Murray comfortably notched up a straight-sets victory in one hour and 28 minutes, during which he steered a backhand pass that his long-time fitness trainer, Matt Little, hailed as “one of the best shots I’ve ever seen Andy hit”.

Source: The Times January 01, 2019 09:09 UTC