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This is a Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2018 file photo of Belinda Bencic, left,
and Roger Federer of Switzerland as they clap hands during
their mixed doubles match against Karen Khachanov and
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia at the Hopman Cup tennis
tournament in Perth, Australia. lia to realize the hip prob-
Federer, Bencic lead
Swiss over U.S. and
into Hopman Cup final
PERTH, Australia (AP) —
Roger Federer and Belinda
Bencic advanced Switzer-
land into the Hopman Cup
final with straight-set singles next service game with an
victories over their Ameri-
can opponents on Thurs-
day.
Federer beat Jack Sock 7-6
(5), 7-5 before Bencic de-
feated CoCo Vandewe-
ghe 7-6 (6), 6-4 to give Swit-
zerland a winning 2-0 edge
and first place in Group B.
Switzerland will play the
Group A winner in Satur-
day’s final at Perth Arena.
Germany, which has won
both its group matches,
can advance to play Swit-
zerland if it beats Australia
on Friday. Federer waited
until the 11th game of the
second set to hit his best
shot of the tournament,
a forehand down the line
that Sock got his racket on,
but could only dump into
the net. “All I remember
was the last two shots — the
pickup on the backhand,
and the forehand on the
run down the line where
he ends up not making the
Friday 5 January 2018
Hip problem forces 5-time finalist
Andy Murray out of Aussie Open
By JOHN PYE In this Friday, Dec. 29, 2017, file photo, Great Britain’s Andy
AP Sports Writer
Andy Murray needed only Murray reacts after he lost a match to Spain’s Roberto Bautista
a couple of days in Austra-
Agut during the second day of the Mubadala World Tennis
lem that has kept him out
Associated Press of competitive tennis since Championship in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Wimbledon was not going
to improve in time for the Associated Press
season’s first major.
The five-time finalist with- social media post earlier in in the loop and get this off
drew from the Australian
Open on Thursday, two the week, the 30-year-old my chest as it’s really hurt-
days after pulling out of a
tuneup event in Brisbane Murray contemplated sur- ing.” Djokovic, who has
before his first match.
Confirmation of his ab- gery as an option after fail- beaten Murray in finals four
sence came hours after Kei
volley,” Federer said. That Nishikori announced that ing to overcome the pain times as he collected his
point broke the American’s he, also, wouldn’t have
serve for a 6-5 lead. Feder- enough time to fully recov- with rest and rehabilitation. six Australian titles, posted
er opened and ended his er from a torn wrist tendon
before the Australian Open In the lengthy Instagram a statement on his website
ace to clinch the match. starts Jan. 15 in Melbourne.
Federer was just 19 when Murray was preparing to post, Murray said he’d saying he wasn’t sure he’d
he won the Hopman Cup in leave Australia at the same
2001 with then top-ranked time as injured former worked hard on the con- be able to play at Mel-
Martina Hingis. He and Ben- champions Novak Djokovic
cic lost in the final last year and Rafael Nadal were on servative option of rest and bourne Park.
to France. the way to Melbourne.
“It would be lovely to win “Sadly I won’t be playing in rehabilitation but was now A right elbow injury has
again,” Federer said. Melbourne this year, as I am
Earlier, Karen Khachanov not yet ready to compete,” having to consider alterna- kept him off the tour since
and Anastasia Pavlyuchen- Murray said in a statement.
kova beat Yuichi Sugita “I’ll be flying home shortly tives. “Obviously continuing July. He plans to play in two
and Naomi Osaka 4-1, 4-0 to assess all the options but I
in a Fast4 mixed doubles appreciate all the messag- rehab is one option .... Sur- exhibition tournaments in
decider to give Russia a 2-1 es of support and I hope to
victory over Japan. be back playing soon.” gery is also an option but Melbourne next week be-
The Russian team took ad- Australian Open tourna-
vantage of a number of un- ment director Craig Tiley the chances of a success- fore deciding.
forced errors by Sugita and said he understood Mur-
Osaka in the Fast4 format, ray’s early decision. ful outcome are not as high There’s also doubt over Ser-
which includes four-game “We are fully aware that
sets, five-point tiebreakers, Andy has been going as I would like which has ena Williams’ title defense.
no advantage and no let through a difficult period
scoring. In singles, Khacha- with his hip and that he’s made this my secondary Williams, who was pregnant
nov beat Sugita 6-4, 6-2 af- done everything possible to
ter Osaka overcame illness prepare for the Australian option and my hope has when she won the Austra-
to beat 15th-ranked Pav- summer,” Tiley said. “This is a
lyuchenkova 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 very hard decision for Andy been to avoid that.” lian title — her record 23rd
(5).q and we totally respect it.”
Former No. 1-ranked Mur- Murray spent 41 weeks at singles major in the Open
ray, a three-time major
winner, has not played a No. 1 in the rankings until era — and gave birth to
competitive match since a
quarterfinal exit at Wimble- last August, but slipped to her daughter in Septem-
don last July. In a heartfelt
a year-end No. 16 because ber, played an exhibition
of his prolonged absence in Abu Dhabi last weekend
from the tour. “I would and said she wasn’t sure
give anything to be back if she’d be able to play in
out there. I didn’t realize Melbourne.
until these last few months Williams said after her loss
just how much I love this to French Open champion
game,” Murray posted “It’s Jelena Ostapenko: “I don’t
quite demoralizing when know if I am totally ready to
you get on the court it’s not come back on the tour yet.
at the level you need it to I know that when I come
be to compete at this level. back I definitely want to be
“Sorry for the long post but competing for champion-
I wanted to keep everyone ships.” q