Antwerp (Belgium) (AFP)
Britain's former World No. 1 Andy Murray qualified for the second round of the ATP tournament in Antwerp on Tuesday by beating Belgium's Kimmer Coppejans 6-4, 7-6 (7/4).
The Scot continues to find his tennis, nearly ten months after the installation of a hip prosthesis, showing great application. Thus, after making equal play with his opponent at 4-4, he concluded the set inital by removing two games in a row. Better yet, led 3-1 in the second run, he returned to 3-3 before winning the decisive game against Coppejans, 25, 158th worldwide and enjoying an invitation.
The three-time Grand Slam winner (US Open 2012, Wimbledon 2013 and 2016) had mentioned in Melbourne in January a likely retirement after Wimbledon 2019 - where he played in double and mixed doubles - because of his recalcitrant hip.
But the success of his operation allowed him to return to the circuit first in doubles in June, with a title immediately on the lawn Queen's, associated with the Spanish Feliciano Lopez, then singles at the tournament in Cincinnati in August.
Last week, the Scot reached the second round of the Shanghai Masters 1000 where he lost to Italian Fabio Fognini 7-6 (7/4), 2-6, 7-6 (7/2 ) after more than three hours of fighting (3:09).
Andy Murray, 243rd player in the world, will make his Grand Slam comeback at the Australian Open in January in Melbourne.
© 2019 AFP