Andy Murray had been forced to withdraw from the Cincinnati ATP Masters 1000 event because of an abdominal strain as he looks to be fit for the US Open, the final grand slam tournament of the year.
Last week Murray reached the third round of the Toronto Masters 1000 event before withdrawing before his match against the eventual champion, Jannik Sinner, because of abdominal pain. He compared it to a similar injury sustained last year in the grass-court season, which he said needed 10 to 12 days of recovery.
Since arriving in Ohio, Murray had been training on site but he had yet to properly test his serve. He said he would decide on his participation after his training session on Monday, before ultimately choosing not to compete in Cincinnati.
Despite being ranked 36th, his highest ranking since returning from hip surgery, and edging extremely close to his goal of being seeded at a grand slam tournament this year, Murray will again be unseeded at the US Open and therefore at the mercy of the draw.
On Tuesday, Caroline Wozniacki was unable to shake off the rust in the second tournament of her comeback as she was comprehensively defeated 6-4, 6-4 by Varvara Gracheva in the first round of the Cincinnati Open.
Wozniacki had initially been drawn against Elina Svitolina in a high-profile contest between two former top players on the comeback trail after giving birth. But after Svitolina’s withdrawal on Monday with a foot injury, Wozniacki instead faced Gracheva, a lucky loser who is ranked No 45.
The gulf in quality between them was evident from the beginning as Gracheva began the match determined to dominate from inside the baseline, taking control of exchanges with her forehand and forcing Wozniacki much further back while consistently pressuring the Dane’s weaker forehand.
Under pressure, Wozniacki had little to offer in response. Forced to constantly retrieve, she struggled to find depth or any penetration on either strokes, her ball constantly landing harmlessly short and allowing Gracheva to dominate until the end.
“In general I didn’t think I played very well,” Wozniacki said. “I didn’t really find my rhythm. Didn’t feel like I played as I could, but I tried to fight and it was one break in each set. I just didn’t return well enough either. I had nine break points and won none of them. That’s just not good enough when you’re playing against players on this level. Yeah, we’ll have to work on that.”
It is normal for players to struggle so early into a comeback after a long layoff, and consistent match practise is essential for players to gain confidence and find greater rhythm. Considering Wozniacki says she will be playing a reduced schedule in her return, it will be interesting to see if she is willing to commit fully to the grind that may be required for her to re-establish her top level.
Wozniacki is next scheduled to compete at the US Open, where she is a two-time former finalist. It is plausible she may find inspiration at one of her favourite tournaments. If not, it remains to be seen whether she will attempt to compete after New York or shut down her season in order to focus on the start of the 2024 season.
“Last week, I was pretty pleased about where I was,” she said. “This week I don’t feel like my timing is exactly where I want it to be, so I’m just going to go back and work hard. I will stay here for a little while, work hard, just kind of get a bunch of tennis in and put some hours in.”