Title: Murray stays MUM about SW19
trisco - June 21, 2007 09:41 AM (GMT)
ANDY MURRAY played tennis in public for the first time in six weeks yesterday, but he was almost as silent on his chances of playing Wimbledon as the Tussaud’s effigy of himself.
For 20 minutes the No8 seed for the tournament, which begins on Monday, hit balls in front of a well-heeled crowd at Stoke Park in Buckinghamshire.
His opponents were a 10-year-old prizewinner, Stephen Bolton, and former player and now morning show TV host, Andrew Castle.
It was not a taxing workout, but if the crowd hoped to hear Murray’s thoughts on his right wrist, which he damaged around the tendon in Hamburg on May 15, or his thoughts on the Madame Tussaud’s waxwork he unveiled, they were very disappointed.
“Taller than me,” was his verdict. Even the Beatles had more to say.
“Not quite 100 per cent,” Murray told some hangers-on, and time is running out. The betting is that he will cry off.
He did hit some balls with another young Scot, Graeme Dyce, at the LTA’s National Training Centre yesterday, but five days before Wimbledon the opportunity to issue a bulletin on the sporting summer’s most illustrious injury was missed.
Murray is fit enough to play as he has been using the time off court not simply to have treatment on the wrist but to use the fitness facilities of the recently opened, state-of-the-art centre at Roehampton.
The problem is not whether the wrist is just strong enough to take two hours of ferocious hitting which comes from most of the top 100 men, but if it will deteriorate should he get through the first round.
Murray’s big hopes of success lie with the hard courts of north America and particularly the US Open at the end of August, where he has already captured the junior title. Returning for Wimbledon could set him back for the season unless he is certain, and it seems likely he will not make it on court on Monday.
And last night he was advised to turn his back on Wimbledon if his wrist is anything less than completely healed.
American Davis Cup star and world No9 James Blake, one of the outsiders for the title, warned Murray not to chance it and risk seeing his world ranking plummet if he fails.
Blake, seeded one place below Murray at ninth for Wimbledon, said: “I don’t know all the details, but I’ve heard that if he’s at 90 per cent then he’s still going to play. But if you’re 90 per cent then you should not play, because the difference between being top 10 like he is and top 80 or top 100 is maybe five per cent.
“If you are 90 per cent you won’t win very many matches. I know from experience it is dangerous if you play with a small injury. I’ve done it and know what it’s like.
“The adrenaline starts when you begin to play, so that no matter how careful you want to be, you’re not. You’re never careful because you want to win so badly. The adrenaline is pumping so much that you don’t know when to stop and you can possibly end up making the injury worse.
“If he is still injured and the doctors don’t think he should play, I’d listen to that advice. But if he’s totally better, then he should take his place in the draw because he’s earned his right to be there.”
Lee Childs took his place in the Wimbledon draw yesterday as the only one of 14 British male and female hopefuls to win through qualifying. He beat Italy’s Marco Crugnola 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the final qualifying round at Roehampton.
For 20 minutes the No8 seed for the tournament, which begins on Monday, hit balls in front of a well-heeled crowd at Stoke Park in Buckinghamshire.
His opponents were a 10-year-old prizewinner, Stephen Bolton, and former player and now morning show TV host, Andrew Castle.
It was not a taxing workout, but if the crowd hoped to hear Murray’s thoughts on his right wrist, which he damaged around the tendon in Hamburg on May 15, or his thoughts on the Madame Tussaud’s waxwork he unveiled, they were very disappointed.
“Taller than me,” was his verdict. Even the Beatles had more to say.
“Not quite 100 per cent,” Murray told some hangers-on, and time is running out. The betting is that he will cry off.
He did hit some balls with another young Scot, Graeme Dyce, at the LTA’s National Training Centre yesterday, but five days before Wimbledon the opportunity to issue a bulletin on the sporting summer’s most illustrious injury was missed.
Murray is fit enough to play as he has been using the time off court not simply to have treatment on the wrist but to use the fitness facilities of the recently opened, state-of-the-art centre at Roehampton.
The problem is not whether the wrist is just strong enough to take two hours of ferocious hitting which comes from most of the top 100 men, but if it will deteriorate should he get through the first round.
Murray’s big hopes of success lie with the hard courts of north America and particularly the US Open at the end of August, where he has already captured the junior title. Returning for Wimbledon could set him back for the season unless he is certain, and it seems likely he will not make it on court on Monday.
And last night he was advised to turn his back on Wimbledon if his wrist is anything less than completely healed.
American Davis Cup star and world No9 James Blake, one of the outsiders for the title, warned Murray not to chance it and risk seeing his world ranking plummet if he fails.
Blake, seeded one place below Murray at ninth for Wimbledon, said: “I don’t know all the details, but I’ve heard that if he’s at 90 per cent then he’s still going to play. But if you’re 90 per cent then you should not play, because the difference between being top 10 like he is and top 80 or top 100 is maybe five per cent.
“If you are 90 per cent you won’t win very many matches. I know from experience it is dangerous if you play with a small injury. I’ve done it and know what it’s like.
“The adrenaline starts when you begin to play, so that no matter how careful you want to be, you’re not. You’re never careful because you want to win so badly. The adrenaline is pumping so much that you don’t know when to stop and you can possibly end up making the injury worse.
“If he is still injured and the doctors don’t think he should play, I’d listen to that advice. But if he’s totally better, then he should take his place in the draw because he’s earned his right to be there.”
Lee Childs took his place in the Wimbledon draw yesterday as the only one of 14 British male and female hopefuls to win through qualifying. He beat Italy’s Marco Crugnola 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the final qualifying round at Roehampton.
Tenez - June 21, 2007 09:56 AM (GMT)
true and wise words from Blake!
trisco - June 21, 2007 10:01 AM (GMT)
Yeah, Blake seems spot on there.
Although I did think Murray was playing on his injury a bit just to add a bit of drama and tension in the build up to Wimbledon.
Maybe I'm just sceptical about him
The waxwork looks NOTHING like him btw
Although I did think Murray was playing on his injury a bit just to add a bit of drama and tension in the build up to Wimbledon.
Maybe I'm just sceptical about him
The waxwork looks NOTHING like him btw
Dinky Jo - June 21, 2007 10:05 AM (GMT)
| QUOTE (trisco @ Jun 21 2007, 11:01 AM) |
| The waxwork looks NOTHING like him btw |
lol - i thought exactly the same thing........ :blink:
SuperBRAT - June 21, 2007 10:08 AM (GMT)
It will be so dissapointing for the British public to have a player achieve Murray's ranking and success and then not be able to play his home slam. :( This dissappointment will be hugely magnified given Tim Henman's current low and poor prospects. And Of course Murray himself will be gutted, and I expect the pressure of publc expectation makes his decision trickier because he knows he's carrying the nation's hopes. And we are not used to our players letting us down through injury, but through simply being beaten on court.
Murray should however put public expectation out of his mind (if possible!) and make his decision based on whether he is fit enough to play, how many matches he might get though, ranking points to defend and of course the risk of further injury that might occur from playing and it's effects on the rest of his season. Only HE can decide, based on the advice he is given and his own gut instinct. I've a feelign he won't play, but I hope he can. :)
He could always play his first round match and see how he goes. If he pulls out afterwars though, or is forced to retrie during a match, I'm sure he'll get criticsed for takign a place in the draw and nto giving someone else a chance and/or a higher seeding BUT he shoudl ignore all that. He's gotta be ruthless and focus on himself as No 1 priorty, sod the rest, he's worked his ass off to get to world N8 and th chances that creates so my advice would be take those chances if you can - they don't come along often.
Murray should however put public expectation out of his mind (if possible!) and make his decision based on whether he is fit enough to play, how many matches he might get though, ranking points to defend and of course the risk of further injury that might occur from playing and it's effects on the rest of his season. Only HE can decide, based on the advice he is given and his own gut instinct. I've a feelign he won't play, but I hope he can. :)
He could always play his first round match and see how he goes. If he pulls out afterwars though, or is forced to retrie during a match, I'm sure he'll get criticsed for takign a place in the draw and nto giving someone else a chance and/or a higher seeding BUT he shoudl ignore all that. He's gotta be ruthless and focus on himself as No 1 priorty, sod the rest, he's worked his ass off to get to world N8 and th chances that creates so my advice would be take those chances if you can - they don't come along often.