Andy Murray
Andy Murray reacts. Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros - Richard Gasquet of France v Andy Murray of Britain - Paris, France - 1/06/16. Reuters/Gonzalo Fuentes

World No. 1 Andy Murray has pulled out of his scheduled Wimbledon warm-up tie at the Hurlingham Club due to a sore hip. The reigning Wimbledon champion was scheduled to play two matches at the exhibition Aspall Tennis Classic event in the lead-up to The Championships which get underway on July 3.

According to odds makers, Murray enters the 2017 Wimbledon as the second leading favourite behind ageless wonder Roger Federer. The two-time Wimbledon champion has had a torrid 2017, but analysts expect the Scot to regain his rhythm in the grass courts of the All-England Tennis Club.

The Scot was due to square off against Frenchman Lucas Pouille in Hurlingham Club. There was also chatter of a possible Murray vs Nadal exhibition match. According to PA Sport, Murray's decision to pull out of the game is merely a precautionary measure. There is still a possibility that he plays the second match against an unnamed opponent on Friday.

Can Andy Murray successfully defend his crown at Wimbledon?

It's fair to suggest that Murray hasn't had the ideal preparation in the lead-up to the 2017 Wimbledon. He has already dealt with persistent health problems, an elbow injury and a couple of bouts of flu.

Muray suffered a shocking first-round exit at Queen's Club last week, giving 2001 Wimbledon winner Goran Ivanisevic reason to doubt his chances at the third Grand Slam of the year. According to Ivanisevic, Murray enters the 2017 Wimbledon as the fourth favourite behind Rafael Nadal, Federer and Marin Cilic.

"Murray plays very well on grass, but nobody talks about him. He’s got the game; it’s just an issue of mentally how he’s going to cope with the pressure. If he continues to play aggressively, the only way he can play, he can be very dangerous there," said Ivanisevic.

The Croatian tennis great added, "For the moment, he (Murray) is my fourth favourite. Murray’s lost confidence. He’s not hitting the ball well enough. I’m thinking about the form, the way they’re playing and how they can do. But who knows how it’s going to turn out?"

Andy Murray had a career year in 2016, reaching the finals of the first three Grand Slams besides winning the Wimbledon and ATP World Tour Finals. That amazing stretch propelled Murray to World No. 1 status but illness and injury have contributed to his poor form in recent months.