The Sunday Post (Dundee)

TENNIS Winning Queen’s is not imperative for Murray

- ROYAL ASCOT PREVIEW By Adam Lanigan

ANDY MURRAY will enjoy the green, green grass of home when he steps out at Queen’s Club for the Aegon Championsh­ips this week.

It’s an event Murray loves, having won it a record five times. Success in 2013 and 2016 was the precursor to claiming the bigger prize at Wimbledon a few weeks later.

The Scot will kick-off his defence with a first-round match against fellow Brit Aljaz Bedene.

But Sky Sports commentato­r Barry Cowan is not worried whether the World No. 1 wins a sixth title or loses in the first round.

He thinks Murray’s run to the semi-finals at the French Open was more significan­t than anything he might achieve in West London on grass.

The Scot endured a difficult few months before his efforts in Paris, thanks to a combinatio­n of shingles, an elbow injury and some shock losses.

But his performanc­es on the red clay offer renewed hope for the second half of the season.

“Queen’s is not massively important for Andy,” assesses Cowan, who took Pete Sampras to five sets at SW19 in 2001.

“I know he’s won it before, but the French Open was more important. He had to win in matches in Paris.

“Andy knows how to play great and win matches on grass. He doesn’t have to win Queen’s to be in contention for Wimbledon.

“Even if he loses early, that won’t lessen his chances. Whatever happens, Murray is going to be a narrow second-favourite, for me, behind Roger Federer.

“His performanc­es at the French were really encouragin­g. I didn’t think he was ready to win in Paris, but he’s now Wimbledon.”

Murray enjoyed a spectacula­r run in 2016, in which he won nine times, including Wimbledon and the Olympics, and claimed the World No. 1 spot from Novak Djokovic in the last match of the year.

After all that success, Cowan was not surprised there was a let-down.

“Andy had an incredible six months,” he states. “But it was a tough six months.

“He gave absolutely everything and that leaves you mentally drained. The tennis that he plays, he has to be 100% in terms of his energy levels.

“A drop of even 5% and you lose

ready

to win matches, you lose confidence and then your peers think you’re vulnerable.

“He has never had the luxury of Federer. He has always had to fight harder to win his matches because of their different styles.

“He has got over the difficulti­es of the illness and injury and it was nice to see him play the tennis he did against Juan Martin del Potro, and Stan Wawrinka, even though he lost.

“Andy’s confidence is back and he knows how to get it done on grass.”

While Murray will hope for a good warm-up for Wimbledon, French Open Champion Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from Queen’s.

And Cowan asserts that could spell the end of the Spaniard’s chances at SW19.

“This changes the goalposts,” he says. “I didn’t think Rafa would win Wimbledon again, but I had changed my mind after his performanc­e in Paris. With this decision, I have changed it back again.

“Rafa needs matches on grass and he won’t get them. He will be vulnerable early on at Wimbledon because he’ll go in cold.

“I don’t care how many matches he has won in 2017, there are enough players in the draw who can hit through him in the early rounds when he won’t be at his best.”

 ??  ?? Aiden O’Brien. SELECTIONS NAP – DOUBLE – TREBLE –
Aiden O’Brien. SELECTIONS NAP – DOUBLE – TREBLE –
 ??  ?? Andy Murray and coach Ivan Lendl celebrate a record Queen’s Club success 12 months ago.
Andy Murray and coach Ivan Lendl celebrate a record Queen’s Club success 12 months ago.
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