Andy Murray a Wimbledon doubt after injury forces him to retire at Queen's

NEW DELHI: Andy Murray's second-round match at Queen's came to a premature end on Wednesday when he was forced to retire after just five games due to injury, raising concerns about his potential farewell appearance at Wimbledon, AFP reported.

The 37-year-old Murray's hip and right leg appeared to give way following his very first serve of the match against Australia's Jordan Thompson.

Despite serving out the game virtually on one leg and holding for 1-2 after dropping the first two games, Murray's condition did not improve.

During the changeover, Murray received vigorous treatment on his right hip, which he had replaced in 2019, and his right knee during a medical time-out.

Although he returned to play the fourth game, Murray struggled to chase down anything out of reach and served first serves at speeds below 100 mph (160 kph).

The official explanation for Murray's retirement at 4-1 down was a back injury. The Scot, who is a two-time Wimbledon champion and five-time Queen's winner, had already shown signs of discomfort during his first-round victory over Alexei Popyrin on Tuesday.

As Murray enters what is expected to be his final year on tour, fitness issues continue to plague him, potentially jeopardizing his hopes of making a final appearance at Wimbledon, which is set to begin in less than two weeks.

Reflecting on the brief encounter, the 30-year-old Thompson noted, "I could see he had a problem in the warm-up and then his first serve."

"I thought, 'hit the ball in and make him run'. I actually learned that from him, when he was playing, and if a guy was hurt or cramping or something, he'd always use a drop shot or just try and take it up the line."

He added: "I learned a lot of things watching him play, so it's an honour to share the court with him, but it's just sad that it ended like that."