Call him the Comeback King! Andy Murray wins Antwerp
Who else thought that it was the end for Andy Murray at the beginning of this year? At the 2019 Australian Open, Andy Murray announced that he would be retiring from the game of tennis due to a hip injury that seemed unsolvable. An emotional press conference had the whole tennis world buzzing. I even made a video on our YouTube channel, thanking Andy for a wonderful career that showed the tennis world what hard work looked like (now taken down, obviously).
Murray was awarded a spot into the main draw of the European Open due to a protected ranking and took full advantage of it! On his way to the final, he beat the likes of Pablo Cuevas, Marius Copil, Ugo Humbert, and Stan Wawrinka in the final. Facing off Wawrinka in the final felt like the good old days of tennis. Where the Big 3/4 were facing off and tennis was on top of the world with talent. Wawrinka, coming off his own surgery, was playing unbelievable and powerful tennis. Hitting winners all over the court. By far, the most difficult Murray had to face this week.
This victory means a lot more to Murray and to the tennis community than you think. We thought we lost one of the best players of our lifetime and Andy probably thought the same way. Once he found out about the surgery for his hip, it gave him hope that he could compete again. I am just happy he is back and competing at a high level again.
This final was one I sat down and enjoyed every point. Between Wawrinka's winners and Andy's angry moments at himself, it was definitely one to enjoy on all levels!