Brit Ryan Peniston reckons Andy Murray has what it takes to triumph at Wimbledon this year following their lopsided first-round encounter. With a potential match against Stefanos Tsitsipas looming and Novak Djokovic vying for an eighth title, Murray's stellar performance may have caught the attention of the tournament's top contenders.
The two-time Wimbledon champion had previously declared himself to be in the best physical condition in years as he embarked on his latest quest for glory at SW19. His statement rang true as he swept aside Peniston in straight sets on Tuesday afternoon.
Ranked 268th in the world, the British underdog managed to win three games in the first set, but that was as good as it got for him, with Murray ultimately prevailing 6-3 6-0 6-1.
When questioned by reporters after the match, Peniston refused to dismiss the possibility of Murray clinching a third Championship, even with the potential challenge of Tsitsipas in the second round and Djokovic aiming for the title. He said (via the Express) "Yeah, I mean, he played really well today. Yeah, I think why not? Why can't he go and win it? I thought he definitely played well. I mean, he is where he is because of the way he practices, as well. He's the same in practice. He's on every ball. Yeah, that's why he's so good."
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Peniston added: "I think the main thing that Andy did really well today was he was just relentless on every point. I had quite a few games where I was 30-Love up, things like that, had game points, but he was relentless on every point. Yeah, that's why the scoreline was like it was."
As Murray awaits the identity of his second-round opponent at the All England Club, the match between Tsitsipas and Dominic Thiem was halted due to weather conditions on Tuesday before resuming on Wednesday. Both players have reached Grand Slam finals, with Thiem emerging as the victor at the 2020 US Open.
Murray said he would keep up to date with their match: "I will definitely watch some of the match in the evening to look at what they're doing and how the match has gone, see how they're both playing. I probably won't watch it live.
"It's obviously been tricky for everyone today. Even guys that didn't finish their matches yesterday not finishing today. Yeah, lots of hanging around.
"It's tough for the players that got rained off. As much as I prefer to play outdoors, like that's one of the positives of getting to play under the roof. Although the conditions are different, you get to finish your match and you get the consistency in the schedule."
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