(Tennis news) Former World Number 1 Andy Murray was forced to withdraw from the cinch Championships at Queen's Club after sustaining an abdominal injury in Stuttgart. Murray has won the tournament five times in the past but was forced to pull out after a scan on Monday revealed a strain on his left abdomen. However, Murray is expected to be fit for Wimbledon preparations next week.

The Scot suffered the injury during the Stuttgart Open final where he lost by three sets to  Matteo Berrettini. He said “After having a scan this afternoon, an abdominal injury means I won't be fit to compete at Queen's this year. The tournament means a lot to me and it's disappointing not to compete, especially after playing some good matches on the grass already." This means that Murray is expected to play an exhibition event at Hurlingham in an attempt to prepare himself for Wimbledon. 

British number 2 Dan Evans has said that Murray’s absence from Queen's could not have a detrimental effect on his Wimbledon hopes. Evans said “It's never easy for people to be injured, especially this time of year. It's not ideal. In Andy's case, if anybody knows how to prepare himself for Wimbledon, it's him. "I don't think if he plays this week or next week, in my opinion it wouldn't matter for his preparations as long as he can prepare. If he can still play tennis in a week or so, I think he'll be OK. So in that sense, it's not ideal, but it's not the end of the world for him." 

Tournament Director Luiz Carvalho said: "Obviously it's extremely sad that Andy won't be able to play here this year. Everyone at the cinch Championships wishes him a speedy recovery. We look forward to welcoming him back next year." The 35 year old last won a title on grass at Wimbledon in 2016 while his last ATP title was in Antwerp in 2019. Murray will now look to recover in time before the start of Wimbledon on June 27th. 

Also read: Matteo Berrettini defeats Andy Murray at the Stuttgart Open final