Andy Murray withdraws from Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships with hip injury

Former world No 1, who was handed a wildcard, reached the Qatar Open final on Saturday

Britain's Andy Murray celebrates after winning his second round match against Australia's Thanasi Kokkinakis at the Australian Open in Melbourne. Reuters

Andy Murray embraces Thanasi Kokkinakis after the match. Reuters

Australia's Thanasi Kokkinakis reacts after losing his second round match against Andy Murray. Reuters

Andy Murray reacts after winning his second round match. Reuters

Andy Murray walks past the clock during the fifth set. AFP

Thanasi Kokkinakis during the second round match. EPA

Andy Murray reacts. Reuters

Andy Murray battles for more than five hours. AP

Thanasi Kokkinakis of Australia was feeling the pace. AP

Thanasi Kokkinakis takes a tumble. EPA

Thanasi Kokkinakis after losing the third set. AFP

Andy Murray reacts after a point against Thanasi Kokkinakis. AFP

Former world No 1 Andy Murray has withdrawn from the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships because of a "recurring hip injury", tournament organisers announced on Monday.

Murray, champion in Dubai in 2017, was granted a wildcard for this week's event and had been training in the emirate earlier this month. That decision to familiarise himself with the conditions paid off as the 35-year-old Scot reached the Qatar Open final on Saturday.

However, his exploits in Doha appear to have come at a cost, with Murray now absent from the Dubai field.

"We regret to inform you that Andy Murray is unable to participate in this year's tournament," the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships wrote on Twitter. "Andy has been dealing with a recurring hip injury that has unfortunately forced him out of Dubai.

"We wish Andy a speedy recovery and hope to see him back on the court in Dubai soon."

Murray has experienced an encouraging start to the season, particularly from a fitness point of view, emerging victorious from gruelling back-to-back five-set matches at the Australian Open, before finishing runner-up in Qatar.

The three-time Grand Slam champion has been striving to return to the pinnacle of the men's game since career-saving hip surgery in January 2019. He is currently ranked 52nd having climbed 18 places when the new rankings were released on Monday.

Murray may be absent but the Dubai tournament will still feature several of the world's leading players, including world No 1 Novak Djokovic, defending champion Andrey Rublev, Olympic gold medalist Alexander Zverev, and former US Open winner Daniil Medvedev.