Andy Murray's Tennis career took an unfortunate turn back in 2017. With the 2019 Australian Open looming on the horizon, the former world No. 1 could use some tennis fertility at this point.
A five-time runner-up Down Under, the 32-year-old has been struggling to regain shape after a hip injury sidelined him for the most part of the last year-and-a-half. Ranked 230th according to the atpworldtour.com, he's expected to be in the front row of the returning players' contingent.
The start of 2019 had Andy Murray making the first attempt at the recently ended Brisbane International.
He won his first-round match only to lose to Daniil Medvedev in the next phase.
Andy Murray has an impressive record at the Australian Open
According to the BBC, Andy Murray returns to the Aussie Open after he missed the 2018 edition in the aftermath of his hip injury.
Last time he participated in the men's singles contest, the Brit made it to the fourth round, one match away from a potential clash with Roger Federer. But, an in-form Mischa Zverev prevented that match from happening as the German shocked Murray with a four-set win.
The 2017 Aussie chapter is still below what Murray had previously accomplished Down Under. He is worthy of being called 'the most unlucky player' when it comes to this particular event.
He made it to the final on five different occasions, only to lose them all.
To put things in a deeper perspective, the 2006 edition is when he made his debut at Melbourne Park.
Andy Murray will use his protected ranking
Ranked way outside the eligibility line, Andy Murray has to use the protected ranking in order to gain access to the man draw.
The trickier part is that he will receive no seeded status which may land him a tough draw right from the start. As things stand at the moment, he could use some easier opponents, at least in the first round. If fortune decides to play him a prank, the odds may bring the likes of Roger Federer, Djokovic, Nadal, Zverev or another top-ranked player for a first-round blockbuster.
Given how things have been over the last year or so, Andy Murray may take some advantage from playing pressure-free tennis. At this point, no one expects him to cruise past the opposition. Still, he can really test himself and why not make it to the higher stages of the event?
The 107th Australian Open edition is set to kick off January 14. The Official Draw ceremony is set for Thursday, January 10. The defending champions, Roger Federer and Caroline Wozniacki will also attend the ceremony.
