Andy Murray has withdrawn from his Citi Open quarter-final after a late-night finish on Friday morning. Murray had been due to play Alex de Minaur on Friday night but the three-time Grand Slam champion revealed fatigue had proved too much. "I'm exhausted after playing so much over the past four days, having not competed on the hard courts for 18 months," Murray said in a statement on the ATP website. "I also need to be careful and to listen to my body as I come back from a long-term injury. "I'm gutted not to be playing and I'd like to thank the tournament and all the fans. There are lots of positives to take from this week, so I'll take some time to rest and recover and then head to Cincinnati early to prepare and get ready." Tournament Director Keely O'Brien added: "I am so grateful that Andy, an incredible champion, came back to D.C. to begin what we all know will be a great comeback. "I sincerely respect his decision and know that his health and recovery process is his top priority, as it should be." The Scot had earlier announced that he has decided to sit out next week's Rogers Cup in Toronto and his next tournament will now be the Western and Southern Open, starting on August 13 in Cincinnati. 2:13 Murray in tears after win Murray in tears after win Murray has been playing his first event this week since withdrawing from Wimbledon and has endured a gruelling schedule - winning a trio of three-set matches, including a marathon encounter with Marius Copil which finished just after 3am on Friday morning. An emotional Murray was in tears after the victory and said afterwards he thought it was "unreasonable" to ask a player to finish a match so late and then be expected to play again the following day. He also told reporters that he could "potentially" withdraw from the tournament rather than take on De Minaur. 7:10 Copil v Murray: Highlights Copil v Murray: Highlights Murray is working his way back into form after having surgery on his right hip and spending 11 months on the sidelines. And in the wake of his exertions this week he has also decided to withdraw from the Rogers Cup next week. Murray said: "Sadly, I won't be able to take my place in the draw in Toronto. I'd like to thank the tournament for a wild card, I always love playing in Canada and look forward to returning next year. Murray was emotional after his epic late night victory over Marius Copil "I've played quite a few matches this week in Washington and I need to be smart with my rest and recovery, as I come back from injury. "My plan is to head to Cincinnati early next week. Appreciate all the support this week in Washington, it's amazing to be back playing."<doc-sep>“I hope that Andy really takes into consideration this role in his sport and as a global role model to guys and girls on the tour and kids around the world that, when things are difficult and tough and the conditions aren’t great, it’s not okay to just give up,” said O’Brien, who is in her second year helming the tournament. “I hope we see him on court tonight, fighting like he did last night, because that, I believe, is the right message for anyone in this sport. Certainly, if he can’t play because of his injury, that’s one thing. But he’s a fighter, and he doesn’t give up, and he needs to have everyone see that.”<doc-sep>Story highlights Murray says he is exhausted after two three-set encounters in two days The former No. 1 is returning from hip injury (CNN) An emotional Andy Murray sobbed into his towel on the side of the court after a grueling victory over world No. 93 Marius Copil in Washington -- a game that finished at 3 a.m. Friday local time. Hours later, tournament organizers confirmed on their website that Murray had withdrawn from Washington's Citi Open due to fatigue and would not play in the quarterfinals. He also will not compete in the Rogers Cup next week in Toronto, they said. "I'm exhausted after playing so much over the past four days, having not competed on the hard courts for 18 months," Murray said in a statement. "I also need to be careful and to listen to my body as I come from a long-term injury." Murray, who continues his return from hip surgery, overcame the Romanian 6-7 6-3 7-6 in his second three-set encounter in two days, having previously defeated fellow Briton Kyle Edmund. "Just the emotions coming at the end of an extremely long day and a long match," Murray, 31, said of his reaction to the Copil match, after which he sat crying into his towel for several minutes. Read More<doc-sep>Andy Murray, pictured August 2, 2018, has withdrawn from both the ATP Washington Open and the ATP Toronto Masters, citing the fatigue from three grueling three-set Washington victories (AFP Photo/Mitchell Layton) Washington (AFP) - Three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray withdrew from the ATP Washington Open on Friday, citing fatigue after a 3 a.m. finish that left him crying into a towel. The 31-year-old British star, who returned in June from an 11-month layoff with a right hip injury, also withdrew from next week's ATP Toronto Masters, also citing the drain from three grueling three-set victories over more than eight hours on the US capital hardcourts. "I'm exhausted after playing so much over the last four days, having not competed on the hard courts for 18 months," Murray said. "I also need to be careful and to listen to my body as I come back from a long-term injury." Murray, whose last prior hardcourt appearance was in March 2017 at Indian Wells, played only two June grasscourt events in his comeback prior to coming to Washington, where he played three of the week's four longest matches. "I've played quite a few matches this week in Washington and I need to be smart with my rest and recovery as I come back from injury," Murray said. The Scotsman, whose next US Open hardcourt tuneup event will be the Cincinnati Masters starting August 13, was upset following his 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) victory over Romanian Marius Copil at having been forced to play from midnight to 3 a.m. -- the latest finish in the Washington event's 50-year history. "I don't think I should be put in a position like that," Murray said after the victory. "(My body) doesn't feel great right now. "Finishing matches at three in the morning isn't good for anyone involved in the event, players, TV, fans, anyone. When you're expected to come back and perform the next day, I think that's unreasonable." Murray said in the pre-dawn hours he might withdraw, adding, "I don't know how players are expected to recover. It's a very difficult position to be coming back from a long injury to be finishing matches at 3 o'clock in the morning." Story continues - Andy 'gutted' to withdraw - In a statement released by the event, Murray expressed more disappointment at being unable to continue. "I'm gutted not to be playing and I'd like to thank the tournament and all the fans," he said. "There are lots of positives to take from this week, so I'll take some time to rest and recover and then head to Cincinnati early to prepare and get ready." After the match, a shattered-looking Murray wept into a towel for several minutes, calling it, "just the emotions coming at the end of an extremely long day and a long match," Murray said. Murray's pullout handed a walkover into the semi-finals to 19-year-old Australian Alex De Minaur, who ousted 11th seed Steve Johnson and eighth seed Chung Hyeon, both on Thursday. - Role model Murray leaves - Tournament director Keely O'Brien had told the Washington Post she wanted Murray to play, citing his role model status. "Certainly if he can't play because of his injury, that's one thing. But he's a fighter, and he doesn't give up, and he needs to have everyone see that," she said. After Murray's announcement, O'Brien said she expected Murray would return next year. "I am so grateful that Andy, an incredible champion, came back to DC to begin what we all know will be a great comeback," she said. "I sincerely respect his decision and know that his health and recovery process is his top priority, as it should be."<doc-sep>
Last updated on .From the section Tennis Andy Murray has pulled out of his Washington Open quarter-final on Friday after only finishing his last-16 win at 03:02 local time earlier the same day. The 31-year-old Briton, playing in his third tournament after hip surgery, was due to play Australian Alex de Minaur. The former world number one broke down in tears after beating Romanian Marius Copil in the early hours of Friday. Murray has also withdrawn from next week's Rogers Cup in Toronto to continue his recovery. The Scot says he will now focus on preparing for the Cincinnati Masters, which starts on 13 August. "I'm exhausted after playing so much over the past four days, having not competed on the hard courts for 18 months," Murray said. "I also need to be careful and to listen to my body as I come back from a long-term injury." Murray won three matches in four days at the Citi Open in Washington, sobbing on court after completing his last-16 victory over Copil at 03:02 local time on Friday. He made his comeback after an 11-month absence at Queen's in June and also played at Eastbourne before deciding he was not fit enough to compete at Wimbledon last month. Speaking after beating Copil, Murray said: "My body doesn't feel great right now. Finishing matches at three in the morning isn't good for anyone involved in the event - players, TV, fans, anyone. "When you're expected to come back and perform the next day, I think that's unreasonable." Before his withdrawal, tournament director Keely O'Brien responded to Murray's comments by claiming the Briton pulling out of the quarter-final would send out a negative message. "I hope that Andy really takes into consideration this role in his sport and as a global role model to guys and girls on the tour and kids around the world that when things are difficult and tough and the conditions aren't great that it's not OK to just give up," O'Brien told the Washington Post. "I hope we see him on court tonight fighting like he did last night, because that, I believe, is the right message for anyone in this sport. "Certainly if he can't play because of his injury that's one thing. But he's a fighter, and he doesn't give up, and he needs to have everyone see that." After Murray announced his withdrawal, O'Brien said: "I sincerely respect his decision and know that his health and recovery process is his top priority, as it should be." 'I need to be smart with my rest and recovery' Andy Murray is currently number 832 in the world but will rise up the rankings next week After pulling out of Wimbledon on the eve of the tournament, Murray turned his attention to building his fitness for the American hard-court season. The three-time Grand Slam champion was given wildcards at Washington, Toronto and Cincinnati, all important tournaments leading up to the US Open. The fourth and final Grand Slam of the year starts at Flushing Meadows in New York on 27 August. Following wins in Washington over Mackenzie McDonald, Kyle Edmund and Copil, all three-set matches, Murray decided it would be better to miss the Rogers Cup - which he won in 2009, 2010 and 2015 - and go straight to Cincinnati. "I need to be smart with my rest and recovery," Murray said. "My plan is to head to Cincinnati early next week. Appreciate all the support this week in Washington, it's amazing to be back playing."