Andy Murray withdraws from Brisbane International amid Australian Open fears

The 30-year-old British No 1 and three-time major victor has slipped to 16th in the world rankings, having been sidelined by hip problems since Wimbledon.

'I felt better as it went on, ' Murray said. I didn't realise until these last few months just how much I love this game. I'm just hoping I can get back to a level where I'm able to be really competitive.

"I don't really cramp a lot, so I'm actually surprised that today my body was like that", Muguruza said, adding that her calf muscles started to cramp early in the second set.

Fifth-seeded Johanna Konta reached the quarterfinals with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 win over Ajla Tomljanovic and Alize Cornet advanced with a 6-1, 7-5 win over Mirjana Lucic-Baroni.

It is testament to Murray's fighting spirit, and his determination to compete again, that he is still refusing to rule out an appearance at the Australian Open, remaining in Brisbane before making a decision...

Murray has not played a competitive match since losing to Sam Querrey in the Wimbledon quarter-finals in July after a hip injury curtailed his 2017 season. "I'm hoping that that doesn't continue happening".

And while his ultimate target is January's Australian Open where he is a five-time runner-up, Murray has suggested the days where he competes for major honours could be behind.

He is among a number of top players to be in doubt for the Australian Open, with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic also withdrawing from their warm-up events.

While it was bad new for the British No. 1, compatriot Kyle Edmund got off to a good start in Brisbane by beating talented teenager Denis Shapovalov to advance to the last-16.