Tennis: Murray thanks hospital after back surgery

LONDON - Wimbledon champion Andy Murray thanked medical staff on Tuesday (Wednesday, PHL time) after undergoing surgery on his troublesome back.

The 26-year-old world number three underwent the minor procedure to address a disc problem in his lower back on Monday and is likely to be out of action until the end of the year.

After spending 2 days in hospital you realise and appreciate how amazing a job carers, nurses, doctors etc do in hospitals all over the...

— Andy Murray (@andy_murray) September 24, 2013

World looking after people who are in need.. Thanks to everyone at hospital for looking after me and putting me back together again..

— Andy Murray (@andy_murray) September 24, 2013

Writing on Twitter on Tuesday (early Wednesday, PHL time), he thanked the hospital staff who had taken care of him during his treatment.

"After spending 2 days in hospital you realise and appreciate how amazing a job carers, nurses, doctors etc do in hospitals all over the world looking after people who are in need," he said.

"Thanks to everyone at hospital for looking after me and putting me back together again."

Thanks for all the well wishes, means a lot to me... pic.twitter.com/KokbiW8Y4M

— Andy Murray (@andy_murray) September 23, 2013

Murray had previously posted a picture of himself on Twitter giving a thumbs-up sign after the operation.

His expected absence for the rest of the year means he is likely to miss the season's last four tournaments in Asia, Paris and the World Tour Finals in London.

Instead he will aim to regain full fitness in time to begin his preparations for next year at his Miami base in early November.

The back issue that Murray has battled with flared up badly in May during the Rome Masters, prompting him to abandon a second-round match against Marcel Granollers and then pull out of the French Open.

The Scot and his team have carefully dealt with the complaint since then, and it did not prevent his run to Wimbledon glory in July.

While he played a full role in Great Britain qualifying for the elite World Group of the Davis Cup with a victory in Croatia, there were concerns that his back was giving him trouble.

However, Murray won two singles matches and partnered Colin Fleming to a doubles victory as Great Britain defeated Croatia 4-1 in Umag.

His straight-sets triumph over Ivan Dodig, which gave Britain an unassailable 3-1 lead, looks to have been Murray's final match of the year; one that saw him end the 77-year wait for a home men's singles champion at Wimbledon.

Providing all has run smoothly with his surgery, Murray should be back on court and targeting the Australian Open in January, before returning to Davis Cup duty at the end of the month, when Leon Smith's GB team face the United States. - AFP