Andy Murray before the French Open: Bad memories of the last match on the Chatrier
Andy Murray was back on the Philippe-Chatrier court on Monday for the first time since 2017 - and the memories of his last appearance could be nicer.
by Florian Goosmann
last edit: Sep 21, 2020, 11:56 pm
"It's been a long journey to get back to Court Philippe-Chatrier," Murray wrote on Instagram on Monday. "It's been three and a half years since I played Stan Wawrinka in a brutal five-set semi-final that turned out to be the end of my hip."
The match against "Stan the Man" in spring 2017 was exactly that: brutal. The then world number one Murray and Wawrinka fought each other for 4 hours and 34 minutes, with the better end for the Swiss, 6: 7 (8), 6: 3, 5: 7, 7: 6 (3) and 6: 1 That was the final word for the 2015 winner . Who was defeated in the final against Rafael Nadal.
But it got worse for Murray: After a gigantic final spurt - with victories in Beijing, Shanghai, Vienna, Paris and London - the Scot finished 2016 in first place in the world; but the Wawrinka match in Paris was the beginning of a great period of suffering for him and his hip. Just a few weeks later, Murray competed at Wimbledon so badly that the British Sun even asked its readers with a large Murray photo to please "rub his hip healthy". In vain. Murray fought his way to the quarter-finals again, where he only hobbled across the pitch against Sam Querrey. And had to sit out completely for a year.
Murray comeback: faster than expected
Painful comback attempts followed in 2018, and in early 2019 Murray announced his alleged resignation at the Australian Open. Yes, he is planning a hip operation, he explained there, but ultimately only in order to be able to lead a pain-free life without tennis.
But Murray was wrong: The new hip fit so wonderfully that he first returned in doubles, finally in mixed (at Wimbledon, alongside Serena Williams ) and then in singles, including a tournament victory in Antwerp.
Returning to Paris now? Something like a circle that comes full. "It's a pleasure to be back in Roland Garros. A big thank you to the FFT for the opportunity to play here again," said the three-time major champion, also thanking him for the wildcard that the French association gave him for the 2020 season. Hauptfeld has conquered.