British professional tennis player, Sir Andrew Murray, is still feeling the effects of a hip injury that forced a premature end to his 2018 activity, but the Briton hopes the pain will ease in the lead-up to next month’s Australian Open.

The former world number one returned to the ATP tour in June after having hip surgery at the start of the year but ended his season in September.

“I still have pain in my hip but I need to play matches and see how it feels.

“When I am able to play three, four, five matches in a row, I will take it from there,” Murray told reporters ahead of next week’s Brisbane International.

“Last year, when I came here, it was tough; I was struggling a lot. It definitely feels a bit better than it did, coming here last year.

“I’ve always loved playing here.”

Murray, whose world ranking has dropped to 256, said that he was in a “better place” than he was a few months ago when he missed Wimbledon.

He also stumbled to a second-round defeat at the U.S. Open.

He ended his 2018 season after losing in the quarter-finals of the Shenzhen Open, and Murray said he hoped to return to his best in the next few weeks in Australia.

“I would just like to get through the tournaments and feel like I am able to compete and not restricted by my hip,” Murray, who will be unseeded in Brisbane, added.

The Australian Open will be held in Melbourne from Jan. 14 to Jan. 27.

(Reuters/NAN)