HALF-FIT ANDY IS STILL HANDY

‘Murray will have been happy on the inside. He can beat most rivals at SW19’

ANDY MURRAY will be “happy on the inside” and ready for Wimbledon, according to former British No.1 Andrew Castle.

And the BBC commentator reckoned Murray will be able to win matches in three sets in his home Grand Slam even if he is not fully fit.

The Scot showed his old fighting spirit but also his lack of fitness as he lost his first match for nearly a year at the Fever-tree Championship. And the world No.156 then claimed he was still a doubt for Wimbledon which starts on July 2.

Three-time Grand Slam winner Murray will speak to his team in the next 24 hours about his recovery – and whether he should try to play in Eastbourne or grass-court exhibition matches next week.

Castle (above), who has had three hip surgeries, had doubted if Murray could ever return to the top level.

But after watching his marathon defeat to Nick Kyrgios, the former Strictly Come Dancing star insisted Murray still has magic in his feet.

“He’s coming in with a new attitude – he’s been given the game back,” he said. “I hope he’s joyful about it.

“Even when he looks sort of miserable, he may be very, very happy on the inside. I’m sure he’s absolutely delighted after everything that has gone on and all the false starts to come back.

“If he was a normal player, he probably wouldn’t be doing this. But he wasn’t normal when he left, he’s a champion. I’m very optimistic.

“He can play Wimbledon because not everyone is going to be Nick Kyrgios down the other end either. He’d be a dangerous floater in the draw. At 100 per cent we know what he can do. But even at 90 per cent he can beat a lot of players. Hopefully it is full-steam ahead.”

Murray said 90 minutes had been the most he had played since returning to the practice court – and he was in action for two hours and 39 minutes at Queen’s Club.

“The best way for me to get fit is to play matches and to get over any mental obstacles of the hip and doubting things and stuff,” he said.

Kyle Edmund will today get the chance to take on enigmatic Aussie Kyrgios in the second round in west London.

No.5 seed Sam Querrey booked his place in the quarter-finals by beating Stan

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6-1.