Groth shrugs off injury scare in Murray defeat
Sam Groth was beaten in straight sets by Andy Murray, but was quick to shrug off any injury concerns.
Rod Laver Arena/Melbourne Park, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia, 21 January 2016 | AAP
Sam Groth has promised to be fit to partner Lleyton Hewitt in the retiring champion’s Australian Open doubles swansong despite suffering an injury scare late in his second-round loss to Andy Murray.
The big-serving local hope, who was beaten in straight sets by the No.2 seed on Thursday, fell to the court in pain after rolling his right ankle approaching the net in the last game of the match.
But he dismissed concerns over his ability to partner Hewitt in their second-round clash with eighth-seeded pairing Henri Kontinen and John Peers.
“It’s all right … if I hadn’t rolled it, I might’ve come back. Who knows?” Groth said with a wry grin.
“It was just a little tweak there – nothing too bad. I managed to hit two winners in that game, one off a drop shot. I still moved all right.
“It will be fine.”
Groth and Hewitt face compatriot Peers and Finn Kontinen on Friday afternoon.
In his first match on Rod Laver Arena, Groth was dealt a bagel in the first set as a dominant Murray set the tone for the 6-0 6-4 6-1 result.
Murray reeled off the first nine games of the match, breaking Groth’s serve four times, before the big Victorian raised his arms in mock triumph when he held serve in the 10th game to get on the scoreboard.
Groth enjoyed his most-competitive period during the second set, breaking Murray’s serve for the only time.
But it didn’t last with the Scot breaking the Newcombe Medallist seven times in the impressive display.
“I had a bad serving day against the No.2 player in the world and that’s probably not going to cut it,” he said.
“I felt all right going out there until I started hitting a lot and then I was pretty nervous.
“My serve was sort of out. If I don’t serve well against a guy (who) I know I have to have probably one of my best serving days against … I’m in a bit of trouble.”