Murray pulls out of Delray Beach Open citing COVID-19 concerns

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VIDEO SHOWS: FILE FOOTAGE OF ANDY MURRAY

SHOWS:

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - JUNE 2012) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

1. VARIOUS OF ANDY MURRAY PRACTICING AT WIMBLEDON

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - JUNE 28, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

2. MURRAY, WHO WILL PLAY IN DOUBLES AT WIMBLEDON IN 2019, SERVING DURING PRACTICE SESSION

3. VARIOUS OF MURRAY AND DOUBLES PARTNER PIERRE-HUGUES HERBERT ON COURT PRACTICING

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - JUNE 29, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

4. MURRAY BOUNCING BALL ON FRAME OF RACKET

5. MURRAY AT PRACTICE SESSION

LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - JULY 2016) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

6. VARIOUS OF ANDY MURRAY POSING WITH THE 2016 WIMBLEDON TROPHY ON CENTRE COURT, THE MOST RECENT OF HIS THREE GRAND SLAM TITLES

STORY: Andy Murray has pulled out of the season-opening Delray Beach Open in Florida next week to reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19 ahead of the Australian Open in February.

Murray, who missed most of the 2020 season due to complications with his hip and struggled for form on his return after the COVID-19 hiatus, accepted a wildcard for the Jan. 7-13 ATP 250 tournament last week.

The tournament serves as a warm-up for the Australian Open in Melbourne, which will begin three weeks later than scheduled on Feb. 8 due to COVID-19 health and safety measures.

Murray, a former world number one and three-times Grand Slam champion, underwent hip resurfacing surgery in January last year and has slipped to 122nd in the rankings after playing only seven matches this year.

(Production: Tim Hart)