Andy Murray to have back surgery

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LONDON -- Wimbledon champion Andy Murray will have surgery on a long-standing back problem and miss the rest of the season.

"The aim is to be fully fit for the new season," said a statement released by Murray's management company on Thursday.

The third-ranked Murray will miss the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London on Nov. 4-11, along with the Masters events in Shanghai and Paris in October. There are 13 tournaments left on this year's schedule.

Murray has had problems with his back before this year, but the injury flared up at the Rome Masters in May, forcing him to pull out of the French Open that month.

He returned to win grass-court titles at the Queen's Club and Wimbledon, where he beat Novak Djokovic in the final to become Britain's first male singles champion at the All England Club in 77 years.

"But after recently playing on hard courts and clay, Andy once again sought medical advice about solving the issue once and for all," the statement said.

Defending champion Murray lost in straight sets in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open two weeks ago.

The Scot played in Britain's Davis Cup match against Croatia last week, when he won two singles to help the team return to the world group.

Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press

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