Singapore Slammers’ Andy Murray serves to UAE Royals’ Roger Federer during their International Premier Tennis League match in Dubai on Tuesday. (Reuters)

Agencies/London


World number two Andy Murray will not be working with Swede Jonas Bjorkman next year after his French coach Amelie Mauresmo resumed her role following the birth of her son.
Bjorkman joined Briton Murray’s team in March.
“Nice to have Amelie back in the team out in Dubai,” Murray, who is competing in the International Premier Tennis League, said on his Facebook page yesterday.
“Thanks to Jonas for helping out this year. I enjoyed working with one of the nicest guys on the tour, bring on 2016.”
Former world number one Mauresmo gave birth in August but will return to work with Murray for 22 to 24 weeks next year.
“Amelie did come in at a difficult time, when I had just come back from back surgery, which was tough,” Murray, who will become a father in February, told the BBC. “When I started working with her officially I was ranked 11 in the world—I had just dropped out of the top 10 for the first time in eight years—and I’m now back up to number 2, which is my highest ranking.”

Murray would abandon
Melbourne for London birth of his child
Murray said that he would quit next month’s Australian Open in an instant if his wife Kim were to give birth early to the couple’s child.
World number two Murray will be playing to a tight schedule at the start of 2016, with the baby due in mid-February, and the Australian Open taking place January 18-31.
Even after losing four finals in Melbourne, the 28-year-old said there would be no question of him returning to London if required by the uncertain family circumstances of an early birth.
“I’d go home. For sure, yes,” he told yesterday’s Daily Mail. “It’s obviously important. I want to make sure at the beginning I am there as much as I can be to try and help out, just be there for whatever is really required of me.”
The prospect of becoming a father for the first time is already impacting on the Scot’s schedule, with his off-season training regime now shifted to Dubai rather than his usual venue of Miami.
Remaining in the Gulf also gives Murray the ability to jet to Belfast for the weekend’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, where the recent Davis Cup hero remains a heavy favourite.
“Because obviously Kim is quite heavily pregnant it’s a lot easier to get back from here. All the flights leave in the evening from Miami, whereas here you can fly at all times in the day,” said Murray.
During his stay in Dubai, Murray also played in the IPTL for the Singapore Slammers, beating Dubai’s Roger Federer in a one-set singles rubber.