2017 Us Open Tennis Championships will have to go on without Andy Murray. The 30-year-old Brit currently ranked second in the world made the withdrawal announcement yesterday, a day after the main draw picture had emerged.
The former world No.1 and 2012 US Open winner made the tough decision to skip the last Grand Slam of the year as a part of a long-term strategy. Without any official match since Wimbledon, and being not 100 percent fit as the hip injury is still an issue, 2016 quarterfinalist won't be competing in New York.
It's another significant loss for men's tennis which does nothing but to add few extra grains of uncertainty to the contest. With Murray withdrawing after the main draw list's arrival, the bottom of the draw has Alexander Zverev as the highest ranked player and it's a golden opportunity for the 20-year-old.
Marin Cilic will replace Murray as the fourth quarter's leader
Emptying the slot, Andy Murray handed over his spot to Marin Cilic who will lead the pack in the fourth quarter of the draw. For the Croatian player is a good chance to make another deep run in New York, a scenario that is not a novelty for him.
Three years ago, he produced one of the biggest shocks of men's tennis in years by winning 2014 US Open after beating Kei Nishikori in the final.
The 28-year-old Croatian is currently ranked seventh in the world but he will enter US Open without any official match since losing the 2017 Wimbledon final to Roger Federer. It'll be interesting to see how he will handle this new status. His biggest threat in the draw seems to be Alexander Zverev who may arrive in the semis.
Andy Murray may decide to call an end to the current season
Murray's decision to pull out of the US Open may have a bitter taste but it was somehow expected. From all indications, it seems that he will follow the same cautious path to recover as Djokovic, Wawrinka, and Nishikori took.
If Murray decides to call an end to this season, his ranking will plunge outside the top 10. Thus, he won't be there defending all those points from 2016. The first tournament of 2018 will feature a highly-competitive draw. Just the imagine Murray, Djokovic, Wawrinka, Nishikori or even Raonic entering a draw with their rankings somewhere between the tenth and the twentieth spot. Some interesting match-ups would definitely emerge from that pot.
By putting his name on the unavailability list, Andy Murray will make room for either a Federer vs Nadal rivalry or will give the chance for the younger generation to finally thrive.