Sports Shorts: Murray to attempt comeback if his body allows it

Former world number one Andy Murray said he is under no pressure to return to competitive tennis after undergoing hip resurfacing surgery earlier this year but he would attempt to make a comeback if his body allowed it.

The three-times Grand Slam champion said at this year's Australian Open that constant pain in his hip had brought him to the verge of quitting the sport but revealed last month that he was pain free after the procedure in January.

"I have been hitting the ball from a stationary position but I haven't been doing any movement," Murray told BBC at Sunday's London Marathon where he was invited to fire the starting pistol for the elite men's race.

"I don't feel any pressure to get playing again but if my body will allow, I will try."

Murray had posted a short video on social media earlier this month which showed him hitting the ball in an outdoor court while rallying with a wall and followed that up with a video of himself playing a round of golf.

"The hip is really good and there is no pain any more," Murray added. "I'm just a bit weak from the incision in the operation. I'm pain-free, happy and enjoying my life."

Murray had previously said he would target a comeback at Wimbledon, albeit as a doubles player. His mother Judy had said earlier this week that he was "cautiously optimistic" he would be able to play tennis again this season.

This year's Wimbledon begins on July 1.

Berrettini beats Krajinovic to win Hungarian Open

Italy's Matteo Berrettini came back from a set down to beat Serbia's Filip Krajinovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 to win the Hungarian Open in Budapest on Sunday.

Berrettini, who beat two seeded players en route to the final, won his second career ATP Tour title and also his second on clay after winning his first at the Swiss Open last year.

Both players were involved in long baseline rallies during the game and it took some invention to win points with drop shots and winners from acute angles being the order of the day.

Berrettini seemed to be in control at 4-3 in the opening set but Krajinovic only needed to convert one break point to take advantage and eventually clinch the set on serve.

However, the Italian bounced back in the second and served much better than his opponent to get back into the contest.

Krajinovic managed to save four break points but, as in the first set, only one break point conversion was needed to settle scores.

Berrettini then broke the Serbian in the very first game of the final set and took a 2-0 lead. A shaken Krajinovic did not recover and the 23-year-old Italian went on to convert three of four break points to win the match.

Berrettini, who is yet to lose in an ATP final, made it two years in a row where an Italian has won the event after Marco Cecchinato won it last year.

Martic wins maiden WTA title with comeback win in Istanbul

Croatia's Petra Martic fought back from a set down to beat Marketa Vondrousova 1-6 6-4 6-1 to win her first WTA title at the Istanbul Cup on Sunday.

Martic, 28, took an hour and 49 minutes on centre court to beat her 19-year-old Czech opponent who is now yet to beat Martic in four attempts.

Martic, ranked 40 in the world, won her first final on her third attempt while this was Vondrousova's second loss in a final this season after losing the Hungarian Open final in February.

Vondrousova started the match with a bang, taking a 5-0 lead. But Martic managed to swing the game's momentum her way with a little help from the crowd.

"You guys kept cheering me on when I thought I had no chance for me to win," a grateful Martic said. "You kept believing in me and helped me get through this match today."

Vondrousova had the chance to level the second set at 5-5 and almost broke Martic at 0-40 in the 10th game. But the Croatian saved all three break points and forced the match into the deciding set.

In the end, Martic managed to get the better of her opponent as Vondrousova's unforced errors count climbed to 37, of which 29 came in the last two sets.

It was a memorable victory for the sixth seed Martic, who feared her career had come to an end two years ago with a back injury and has been working her way up the rankings ever since.

The victory in Istanbul could propel her into the top 32 in the world rankings, which would give her a seed at next month's French Open.

Kosgei beats favourites to win first London Marathon title

Kenya's Brigid Kosgei improved on last year's second place to win her first London Marathon title on Sunday, finishing ahead of reigning champion Vivian Cheruiyot, with fellow Kenyan and three-times winner Mary Keitany down in fifth.

Chicago Marathon champion Kosgei opened up a commanding lead over pre-race favourites Keitany and Cheruiyot and impressively pulled away from the star-studded field to win in a personal best time of two hours, 18 minutes and 20 seconds -- -- over a second ahead of Cheruiyot in second and Ethiopia's Roza Dereje in third.

The race got off to a slow start with the field going for the women's only world record, without the aid of male pacemakers.

The pace at the 15-km mark was exactly four minutes down on that set by Keitany when she broke the women's only world record in the 2017 London Marathon.

Yet it started to pick up as Cheruiyot ran a 5:08 15th mile out in front.

Kipchoge strides to fourth London Marathon title, as Farah struggles

Imperious Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge led from start to finish to clinch his fourth London Marathon crown on Sunday, with Britain's Mo Farah unable to challenge the leaders down in fifth.

Kipchoge -- who smashed the world record by over a minute when winning the Berlin Marathon last year with a time of two hours, one minute and 39 seconds -- strode clear of the field to win with the second fastest ever marathon time of 2:02:37.

Having ran the first kilometre at world record pace out in front, Kipchoge clocked an identical 10km time as he did when breaking the world record in Berlin, before coming through the halfway point at 01:01:37.

Ethiopian duo Mosinet Geremew and Mule Wasihun kept up with Kipchoge, but the Kenyan pulled clear in the last two miles, winning with a course-record time, ahead of Geremew and Wasihun.

Farah, multi-Olympic, world and European champion over 10,000 and 5,000 metres, finished fifth, with a time outside his personal best.