Andy Murray retired from his second-round match at Queen’s Club on Wednesday due to a back injury, casting doubt on his upcoming final Wimbledon appearance. The 37-year-old Murray stopped playing while trailing Jordan Thompson 4-1, and stated that he would undergo scans on Thursday.
The two-time Wimbledon champion, who has announced his intention to retire later this year, expressed uncertainty about his readiness for play when Wimbledon starts on July 1 at the All England Club. Murray, who has won the Queen’s Club title five times, mentioned that he was experiencing problems with his right leg even before getting to the court and was visibly in pain during the warmup and the match. He received treatment on his surgically repaired right hip, right knee, and lower back after three games.
In other matches, Sebastian Korda defeated former Queen’s Club champion Grigor Dimitrov to reach the quarterfinals at the grass-court tournament. Korda, who reached the final on grass in ‘s-Hertogenbosch last week as part of his Wimbledon preparation, won their second-round match 6-4, 3-6, 7-5.
Korda, ranked 23rd, commented on the tough battle, stating, “It was a big struggle. We were both serving well and waiting for our chances and there weren’t many. But when they came, I tried to take them. It is incredible playing at Queen’s, it is one of my favorite tournaments.”
Dimitrov won the Queen’s Club title in 2014. This victory marked Korda’s seventh win over a Top 10 opponent. He will next face Rinky Hijikata for a spot in the semifinals. Hijikata defeated Italian player Matteo Arnaldi 7-6 (0), 7-6 (7).
