Antwerp: Former world No. 1 Andy Murray, who claimed his first singles title at the European Open since undergoing hip surgery in January, described it as “one of the biggest” wins of his career.
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Murray on Sunday defeated Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 and immediately burst into tears.
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“It means a lot,” Murray said. “The last few years have been extremely difficult. I didn’t expect to be in this position at all. I’m happy, very happy.”
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The 2019 Australian Open appeared to be his last tournament as he had revealed his retirement plans due to a troublesome hip problem.
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However, he underwent hip resurfacing surgery and extensive rehabilitation.
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On Sunday, the three-time Grand Slam champion needed two hours and 27 minutes to achieve what seemed to be the impossible, especially after his hard-fought wins over Marius Copil of Romania and France’s Ugo Humbert in the quarter-finals and semi-finals.
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Last week, the Scot had admitted that when he lost in the third round of an ATP Challenger Tour event held in Mallorca during the US Open, he was a bit concerned with both his tennis and his physical conditioning.
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This is the first singles title for Murray since he defeated Spain’s Fernando Verdasco to win the Dubai Duty Free Championships in 2017.
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