Andy Murray out for 'extended' period with ankle injury

Andy Murray faces an "extended" period on the sidelines after suffering a serious ankle injury at the Miami Open.

The two-time former Wimbledon champion hurt his ankle toward the end of a marathon match with Czech player Tomas Machac at the Miami Open, which he lost.

The injury could mean he will not play at Wimbledon in July.

Murray managed to finish the third-round match against Machac but said he would visit an ankle specialist when he returns to the UK this week.

"Yesterday towards the end of my match in Miami I suffered a full rupture of my ATFL (anterior talo-fibular ligament) and near full thickness rupture of my CFL (calcaneofibular ligament)," Murray said on Instagram.

"I will see an ankle specialist when I return home to determine next steps.

"Goes without saying this is a tough one to take and I'll be out for an extended period. But I'll be back with 1 hip and no ankle ligaments when the time is right."

Murray dropped to the floor in pain when he suffered the injury in the 10th game of the final set of his 5-7 7-5 7-6 (5) defeat.

A medical time-out was initially called for the three-time major winner, but he picked himself up and continued, only to lose the decider on a tie-breaker.

The 36-year-old is playing what is expected to be his last year on tour, telling reporters during the Dubai Open in February: "I don't plan on playing much past this summer."

It followed a string of first-round exits in Australia and France, but Murray had managed to improve his form over the past month.

He has beaten Denis Shapovalov and David Goffin at recent tournaments before he claiming back-to-back wins in Miami for the first time since August.

Murray defeated Matteo Berrettini in round one and claimed a semblance of revenge over Australian Open conqueror Tomas Martin Etcheverry, but lost after three hours and 27 minutes to Machac on Sunday.

-sky news