Andy Murray battling to be fit for US Open after pulling out of Cincinnati
Andy Murray has prioritised being fit for the US Open later this month after pulling out of the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati.
The 36-year-old had been due to face Karen Khachanov on Tuesday, but tournament organisers announced he had withdrawn late on Monday night because of an abdominal strain. The former world number one had also pulled out of his round-of-16 match at the National Bank Open in Toronto last week, where he was due to take on eventual champion Jannik Sinner.
With the final Grand Slam of the year beginning on August 28, Murray does not want to take any chances with his fitness in what has been a largely successful year for him on tour. He is unlikely to play any the warm-up event in Winston-Salem next week and will therefore be unseeded for the tournament at Flushing Meadows despite being currently ranked inside the world’s top 40.