SUPERHERO WILL BEAT ALLCOMERS
bit more on my toes when he is around.”
After getting back last weekend the Scot showed his intent by hitting the grass-courts on Monday to be ready for Queen’s Club this week – and then Wimbledon on July 3.
Retaining both titles will see Murray stay in the top spot. But if not he could be caught by French Open champion Rafa Nadal, Stan Wawrinka or Novak Djokovic.
Murray said: “I will give it my best to stay there as long as I can. I hope to stay there until the end of Wimbledon. I hope to have a strong period on grass.
“But it’s more than likely I will lose the No.1 spot. Everyone loses it at some stage and the way I played from February through to the French, you can’t do that if you want to stay at the top.
“The last few months I haven’t played like the No.1. But I also feel I’m at the start of a new cycle again, starting from the French.
“I feel, ‘Okay, let’s look to build on that and have a good three, four, five months through to the end of this year, finish it strong and let’s get back on the right path’. Because the build-up to the French wasn’t good, the game was poor.
“Now I feel I’m heading in the right direction again. But more than likely I’ll lose the No.1 spot over the next few months. But I need to try and get it back.”
Murray had a run of five consecutive tournament wins to finish 2016 while Nadal and Roger Federer were out injured. But the two golden oldies have returned rejuvenated this year to claim the first two Grand Slams of the season and will enter Wimbledon among the favourites.
Murray said: “Neither were particularly healthy but the way they have come back has been amazing.
“They’re both great players and when they’re fit and healthy they can beat anyone. It definitely gives me a little bit of extra motivation now as well after the start of the year to get back up to that level.”
Murray, who has won the Aegon Championships five times, will play at Queen’s Club in a new blue and red Under Armour kit before donning white for Wimbledon.
He said: “It’s good to be different. It is a bit weird seeing myself as a cartoon Superman – I wish!
“Maybe when I finish playing I can get that strong. I’m not sure it would be beneficial for my tennis just now.”
ANDY MURRAY