ANDY FEARS BODY SLAM

Murray concerned about fitness

ANDY MURRAY is unsure if his body will cope with his latest comeback on grass.

But the downbeat former world No.1 has revealed that he has no plans to retire and still loves playing tennis.

The three-time Major champion starts his build-up to Wimbledon against Benoit Paire in the opening round of the cinch Championships at Queen’s Club today.

Murray, 34, has only played three ATP Tour-level matches this season because of Covid-19 and a groin injury.

The Scot last featured in a singles match on March 3 but – with Wimbledon starting on June 28 – five-time Queen’s champion Murray said: “I feel OK.

“I don’t feel perfect. The question mark is whether the body holds up and I can’t say with any great certainty whether that is going to happen or not.

“I have been feeling good at different points over the last nine months and something has happened.

“Physically I need to hold up under playing matches and it’s been extremely frustrating with all the different issues.”

Murray insisted he was “not that fussed” over who will win the GOAT race between the ‘Big Three’ following Novak Djokovic’s spectacular triumph at the French Open.

And although he admitted he was “jealous” watching the epic semi-final between Djokovic and

Rafa Nadal in Paris, the world No.124 said the astonishing level of tennis did not deter his planned return.

“It depends what my goal is,” said Murray.

“If my goal is to get to No.1 or to win

Majors, if that’s the only reason why I would continue playing tennis

– which it isn’t because if it was, then I would have stopped three, four years ago.

“The reason why I’m still playing is because I love playing tennis.”

Roger Federer, the other member of the Big Three along with Nadal and Djokovic, won his first grass-court match of the year 7-6 7-5 against Ilya Ivashka of Belarus at the Halle Open yesterday.

French Open runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas has withdrawn from Halle after his grandmother died.

Teenage wildcard Jack Draper emulated Murray by winning his first ATP Tour match at the cinch Championship yesterday.

The World No.309 shocked his fellow 19-year-old Jannik Sinner 7-6 7-6 in the first match on Centre Court. The Italian star is the World No.23.

Murray also won his first ATP match at Queen’s Club as an

18-year-old back in 2005

– and earned a Wimbledon wildcard.