The long wait goes on. Andy Murray, the world No 14, is still not willing to run the risk of putting his fragile right wrist through the arduous strain of competition, ten weeks after the burning intensity of the injury first showed on his face.

The British No 1 had hoped that the Legg Mason Classic, in Washington next week, would be his reintroduction to the sport after so long spent waiting to feel that the ball came off the racket perfectly. But, as he hinted in these pages yesterday, he is still not quite ready to attack his forehand with the levels required to be genuinely competitive and thus his decision to wait another week at the very least.

It seems an age ago now since the German Open in Hamburg, where the 20-year-old mistimed a forehand in his opening-round match against Filippo Volandri, of Italy, and it was clear that he had done something terribly wrong. The initial indications that a tear in his tendons would take about 12 weeks to heal seemed to be on the pessimistic side when he suggested on the eve of Wimbledon that he may be fit to play in the championships.

It was clear during his preparations, though, that he was still some way from striking his forehand with the requisite force required to be able to defend himself against the most powerful hitters in the game.

Murray’s aim will be to be fit enough to compete in the two Masters Series events, in Montreal and Cincinnati, in the build-up to the US Open, the last grand-slam event of the year, which starts in New York on August 27.