Sight every tennis fan wants to see again this summer
A RELIEVED Andy Murray raises his hands to the sky yesterday as he showed signs of putting his year of torment behind him by delivering a win on the road to Wimbledon.
The three- time Grand Slam champion, 31, won for the first time in an injury-hit 12 months as he thrashed Swiss ace Stan Wawrinka 6-1, 6-3 in Eastbourne.
Murray, who is still unsure whether he will play at Wimbledon next week, said: ‘I am very happy to get the win. I was a bit nervous. When you haven’t played for the best part of a year and you face someone like Stan it is tough.’
Murray said he has yet to make a definitive decision on playing at Wimbledon where he clinched the singles title in 2013 and 2016. He made his comeback from hip surgery at the Queen’s tournament last week only to be beaten by Australian Nick Kyrgios in his first match.
His hopes of an injury-free run-up to Wimbledon, which starts on Monday, will be boosted the longer he remains in the Nature Valley International at Eastbourne.
Wawrinka, making his own comeback from injury, last faced Murray when the pair were ranked in the top three in the world. By yesterday both had tumbled out of the top 150. Murray takes on fellow Briton Kyle Edmund tomorrow.
FACING a three-time Grand Slam champion, ignoring dive-bombing seagulls and now a meeting with the man who has usurped him as British No 1. If Andy Murray thought he was in for a sedate week beside the sea in Eastbourne he was sorely mistaken, but he was not inclined to complain last night. Murray has the winning feeling again after beating Stan Wawrinka 6-1, 6-3 to reach the second round of the Nature Valley International at Devonshire Park. During this 77-minute victory he covered the court encouragingly well, and said: ‘I thought I played well the first set. The second set was a little bit patchy at times, and I was a bit nervous towards the end.’ Next up, tomorrow, is his Davis Cup team-mate Kyle Edmund, the world No 18. ‘I’m expecting a tough one,’ said Murray, who later added he is undecided about playing at Wimbledon. As he continues to manage his hip condition, he added that his body suffered after his match last week against Nick Kyrgios. ‘Lots of things were sore the following day. I didn’t feel great, but two days later I felt decent and hit a few balls in the afternoon,’ he said. His natural feel for the grass is evident, but still nothing is conclusive. Wawrinka is ranked 225 following knee surgery, and the Swiss was not being meanspirited when he said of Murray: ‘It’s tough to really say where his level is because he didn’t need more today. I couldn’t find my game.’ Elsewhere, Dan Evans, James Ward and Lloyd Glasspool all put themselves within two victories of making the Wimbledon main draw when they won opening matches in the qualifying event. Derby teenager Jay Clarke has received a wildcard, and he underscored his potential at Eastbourne, overcoming America’s world No 58 Ryan Harrison 6-1, 6-4 for his first victory on the ATP Tour. London’s Harriet Dart, ranked 181, scored a career-best win last night, beating world No 78 Kristyna Pliskova 7-5, 3-6, 6-3.