ANDY Murray last night confirmed his shock withdrawal from next week's Miami Open. The World No 1 revealed that he has been suffering from an injury to his right elbow, although he remains hopeful of being fit to participate in the clay court season which gets under way in earnest in Monte Carlo in the middle of next month. While more should be known about the extent of the injury in the next few days, the announcement casts early doubt on his participation in Great Britain's Davis Cup tie against France in Rouen.
Tournament organisers announced the Scot's absence from an event which he has won twice, in 2009 and 2013, when they issued a short statement from the Scot yesterday. "Sadly, due to a right elbow injury, I won't be playing in Miami," the 29-year-old said. "Apologies to the fans, it's one of my favourite tournaments. The focus now is on getting ready for the clay season."
"We wish @andy_murray a speedy recovery and hope to see him back on the court very soon," said a statement on the tournament's official Twitter page.
While he remains World No 1, the position he claimed for the first time after a stunning run of five consecutive tournament wins at the end of the year, Murray has made by his standards a mixed start to 2017. After a defeat to Djokovic in the Qatar Open final there came an uncharacteristic last-16 exit to Mischa Zverev at the Australian Open. While that setback appeared to behind him when he took the title in Dubai, there was another surprise defeat this week at Indian Wells to Canada's Vasek Pospisil.
The Scot may not be the only one of the world's elite players who is unable to take his place in Miami. French media claimed yesterday that his great rival Novak Djokovic, who has taken the title for five of the last six years, including the last three editions, had travelled from Indian Wells to Monaco to have an apparently similar issue with his right elbow assessed by his doctor.
Meanwhile, Svetlana Kuznetsova rolled back the years as she made it through to the final of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells for the first time in nine years. The Russian, 31, put in a superb display to beat third seed Karolina Pliskova 7-6 (7/5) 7-6 (7/2), having last made the showpiece in Indian Wells in 2008.
Kuznetsova is a two-time grand slam champion and former world number two and she is enjoying a renaissance in her 30s, with a fine array of shot-making doing for Pliskova. "I tried my best to fight for every point, Karolina is one of the best players, she played so well and I had to put in a performance," she said on BT Sport 1. "I was in the final nine years ago, so it is nice to be here again." She will meet compatriot Elena Vesnina, who takes her place in her first final at this level, after a 6-3 6-4 win against Kristina Mladenovic of France.
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