Murray, Nishikori out of Melbourne, Muguruza in Sydney

Jan 04, 2018
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Murray, Nishikori out of Melbourne, Muguruza in Sydney

Published Jan 04, 2018

There has been both bad and good news for fans Down Under as Kei Nishikori and Andy Murray withdrew from the Australian Open.

Nishikori said he's not 100 percent ready yet for five-set matches after a wrist injury. He has opted instead to play an ATP Challenger in Newport Beach, Calif. starting on January 20.

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Nishikori has not played since an opening match loss back in August in Montreal. He's also scheduled to play another ATP Challenger in Dallas before heading to New York for an ATP 250 in February.

Murray, a five-time finalist at the Australian Open, is still coping with a hip injury that has seen him sidelined since Wimbledon.

There's plenty of good news on the women's side though, at least in Sydney. Venus Williams and Jelena Ostapenko touched down ahead of the WTA Premier event.

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World No. 2 Garbine Muguruza also threw herself into the Sydney field at the last moment.

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“I’ve only played in Sydney once before and I really enjoyed the conditions there, and the beautiful city,” Muguruza said. “This wildcard is a very valuable opportunity for me get back on the court and hopefully play a few more matches before the first Grand Slam of the year in Melbourne. The Sydney draw is incredibly strong and there will be no easy matches.”

The star-studded field at the Apia International next week also includes the likes of Angelique Kerber, Agnieszka Radwanska, Petra Kvitova, Kristina Mladenovic and Sloane Stephens.

Muguruza was forced to retire in her opening match this week in Brisbane with leg cramps. Brisbane also saw Johana Konta retire mid-match with a hip injury.

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