Andy Murray has said he is enjoying being under the radar in the buildup to Wimbledon after a decade of shouldering the immense pressure and expectation that comes with being Great Britain’s biggest hope at the championships.
“Nowadays it’s alright,” said Murray. “Ten years ago, it was a little bit different. A little bit more expectation, pressure, those sorts of things. It’s actually been OK. The last few weeks have been fairly low-key. Obviously I get to spend a lot of time with my family so it’s quite easy to switch off from the tennis.”
Murray, who won his first of two Wimbledon titles 10 years ago, was speaking as he continued his preparations for this year’s tournament at Hurlingham Club in west London. In an exhibition match, he was defeated 6-4, 6-4 by Holger Rune, the world No 6.
“It’s great to play these sorts of matches a few days out from Wimbledon,” said Murray. “He’s one of the top players in the world so you know exactly where your game’s at, which things to work on. It keeps you very sharp. Obviously I would have liked to have done better today, but some good stuff in there. Hopefully we can build on that in the next few days.”
Despite the defeat, Murray was upbeat and satisfied by his preparations. He pointed to the confidence gained by winning back to back Challenger tournaments in Surbiton and Nottingham, which was particularly pleasing considering how his body physically held up.
“First time in a long while I’ve played that many matches in a short period of time,” said the 36-year-old. “On top of the tennis being good and the matches, my body held up pretty well physically which is very positive. Very match sharp, match tight going into Wimbledon.”
Across the net, there were further indications that Rune continues to improve on grass. The 20-year-old arrived in London two weeks ago having never won a match on the surface, but after reaching the semi-final at Queen’s last week, he continues to gain vital experience.
In Eastbourne, Coco Gauff, the fifth seed, easily dismissed Jodie Burrage 6-1, 6-1 to reach the quarter-final. Jelena Ostapenko comfortably moved past Harriet Dart 6-3, 6-4. Gauff will next face her doubles partner, Jessica Pegula, the third seed, who reached the quarter-finals with a 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 win over Camila Osorio.
In the men’s draw, Mackenzie McDonald upset the top seed and defending champion, Taylor Fritz, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (8) in an all-American battle.
