Henman interview: Murray defying the percentages and in combine for titles once more
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t the time when Andy Murray returned to the ATP Tour, the person he had changed as British No1 readily admits he by no means anticipated him to have the ability to depend on his motion as he as soon as did.
The Briton’s scurrying across the court docket was certainly one of his stand-out attributes which Tim Henman thought he would wrestle to duplicate with a steel hip.
But this summer time Henman believes Murray is shifting in addition to he ever has executed and has tipped him to win important ATP Tour titles sooner or later and pressure his means deep into the grand slams as soon as extra.
This is although Murray has not made it into the second week of a significant since present process surgical procedure, his finest run to the third spherical.
But Henman predicted the Scot was on the cusp of a breakthrough, which may but come on the US Open when it will get beneath means subsequent week, utilizing the instance of his slender second-round loss by Stefanos Tsitsipas at Wimbledon earlier this summer time as a precursor to that.
Andy Murray appeared a lot improved at Wimbledon
/ PA“If he wins that Tsitsipas match at Wimbledon when he had the momentum, you could see him having a deep run there,” he mentioned. “And I think what very much motivates him is to get into the second week of slams and see where it takes him.”
Murray got here inside a whisker of being seeded for Wimbledon after profitable titles in Surbiton and Nottingham within the lead-up to his dwelling grand slam. And then hopes of a seeding in New York have been curtailed by an belly pressure stopping him enjoying the warm-up occasion in Cincinnati.
Despite the setback, his former Davis Cup team-mate Henman mentioned: “I’ve been massively impressed. If I’d have predicted Andy’s path back from surgery, I would have got it completely wrong because I would have said his tennis level will come back and he’ll hit the ball well but I think he’ll struggle with the physicality and the movement.
“But really it is form of been the alternative. Now he has been in a position to construct up that resilience and enjoying week in, week out with none points together with his hip. Now he is ranked inside the highest 40 and it isn’t going to take a lot to maneuver the needle.
“Title wins on Tour are a definite, so too runs into the second week of a slam. In my opinion, it would be very difficult for him to win another slam.”
Henman is a part of a new-look Sky Sports commentary workforce to mark the return of tennis to the channel, beginning with the US Open over the subsequent fortnight. As a participant, Henman’s finest end in New York was a spot within the semi-finals however he performed a key position as one thing of a advisor for Emma Raducanu in her path to that shock US Open title win again in 2021.
Emma Raducanu received the US Open in 2021
/ PA MediaRaducanu is slowly getting her means again to health after surgical procedure on each her wrists and her ankle, points she has struggled with since her sole title win of be aware.
Henman is assured she is going to get again to her finest as a participant as soon as extra.
He mentioned: “It’s great that she’s drawn a line in the sand to say, ‘I’ve got fit, I’ve got healthy. And don’t rush it’… it’s going to be a long road back but with her ability — mentally and physically — I’m sure she can be back playing at the very top of the game again in the future.
“I actually hope that is the chance that she will be able to utilise so she offers herself that probability to have the resilience bodily to get out on court docket and persistently compete in tournaments, as a result of I’ve little doubt that her tennis is totally important.
“I think for her the tennis bit is the easy bit. Where she has struggled is to have the physical robustness. That’s the area she’ll need the foundations for so she’s able to compete five, six weeks in a row. So, it’s a really good opportunity to put in the hard yards now and I’m sure she’s doing that.”
The US Open returns completely to Sky Sports and NOW with entry to all court docket feeds from August 28.