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Andy Murray is unlikely to play again this season after deciding to undergo surgery on a long-standing back injury.
The 26-year-old has a disc problem in his lower back and is set to miss this year's remaining tour events, including November's World Tour Finals in London.
The injury flared up in May, forcing him to withdraw from the French Open.
He returned in July and was the first Briton to win Wimbledon since 1936, but has struggled back on the hard courts and lost in the US Open quarter-finals.
The disc problem, which Murray has suffered for two years, affects a nerve in his lower back which can send pain shooting down his hip and upper leg.
It appears to cause him more problems when he plays on clay and the harder surfaces than on grass courts.
He had pain-killing injections before the 2012 French Open and withdrew from this year's Rome Masters midway through a match against Marcel Granollers. After consulting medical advice, he decided he would not be fit for Roland Garros.
There were signs of discomfort at the US Open, but he only took the decision to have surgery after last weekend's Davis Cup tie on clay in Croatia. He admitted his back was sore after last Friday's opening singles victory over Borna Coric.
Murray had been scheduled to play three more events in Asia this season, including the Shanghai Masters, then the Paris Masters before heading to the World Tour Finals at the O2 Arena from 4-11 November.
There is no suggestion that next year's schedule will be affected and it is hoped he will kick off his regular pre-season training block in Miami in the middle of November.
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