Will Beijing smog cloud Andy Murray’s comeback? Scot adds China Open and Zhuhai event to schedule as he returns to singles action
- Concerns over pollution have long blighted the event, with players complaining of dizziness, headaches and sickness
- Former world No 1 won at the National Tennis Centre in 2016
Former world No 1 Andy Murray has added two tournaments in China to his schedule as he continues his comeback from career-threatening surgery, with The Scotsman confirming he will play in the Zhuhai Championships in September and the China Open in Beijing in October.
This is the first year of the Zhuhai event, while the China Open started in 2004 and has been a fixture at the National Tennis Centre used for the 2008 Olympic Games since 2009, when it was upgraded to ATP 500 Tour status.
While the China Open has attracted some of the biggest names in tennis, such as Murray, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, since its status was upgraded, it has made headlines for pollution levels over the years.
Beijing’s air quality has long been a concern and the government has led a concerted effort to reduce it in recent years. Figures announced in January said that smog emissions in the capital and the surrounding Hebei province reduced by 12 per cent in 2018.
Similarly, the average reading of the Air Quality Index, has been going down in recent years. Since 2014, the average has dropped from 127 to 95. In terms of the AQI, that means going from unhealthy for sensitive groups (101-150) to moderate (51-100) but still a way from good air quality, which reads between 0 and 50 on the scale.