Andy Murray encouraged by progress after hip surgery

FILE – Andy Murray of Great Britain signs autographs after a training session on center court during the Western & Southern Open at Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 12, 2019 in Mason, Ohio. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images/AFP

Andy Murray insists he is encouraged by his recovery from career-saving hip surgery as the former world number one prepares to play next month’s Shanghai Masters.

Murray is aiming to rebuild his singles ranking following the operation in January.

The 32-year-old Scot made a tentative return to singles action in Cincinnati last month.

He was last seen on court at a Challenger event in Majorca — his first time playing at that lower level for 14 years — and his next tournament will be the Zhuhai Championships later in September.

Although Murray lost in the third round in Majorca against the unheralded Matteo Viola, the two-time Wimbledon champion was pleased he came through three matches in four days without any complications.

“The last tournament was at Challenger level which was good for me. We had good crowds there and it was different. I haven’t played at that level for 14 or 15 years but I enjoyed it,” Murray told reporters on Thursday.

“I am just happy to be healthy again. I would like to be playing at a higher level but it was fun for me out there.

“Recovering from matches because I don’t have pain, the preparation is fun. Hopefully, it keeps going that way.”

Murray has committed to playing for four weeks in a row as the China Open in Beijing is sandwiched in between his outings in Zhuhai and Shanghai before returning to Europe to compete in the European Open in Antwerp.

While he is now able to play pain-free, Murray is still short of speed around the court, something he is banking on returning over the next few months.

“Now I don’t have any limitations on what I can’t do,” Murray added at an event at Queen’s Club to promote a daily liquid supplement developed specifically for the Scot.

“I am certainly still a little bit slow in terms of where I would like to get to. I’m thinking that in the next four or five months that is going to get better.

“Each week I have felt better but performances haven’t necessarily shown that, in terms of results. But I have been feeling physically better.”