Double grand slam champion Andy Murray has played-down concerns about a potential shoulder injury following his second round win at the Aegon Championships
During his straight sets dismissal of Aljaz Bedene, the world No.2 was seen expressing some sort of discomfort with his shoulder and moved gingerly around the court. Fortunately for the army of British fans cheering him on at The Queen’s Club, Murray is confident that it will have no impact on his campaign for title No.5 at Aegon Championships.
“The same thing happened in Madrid a little bit during the tournament.” Murray said.
“The first couple of games, my shoulder was sore and then once I got warmed up it was fine.”
It isn’t the first time that shoulder concerns has overshadowed Murray’s preparations for the Wimbledon championships. Exactly 12 months ago, he was also experiencing issues with his right shoulder, but still managed to reach the semifinals at SW19.
The next test for both Murray and his shoulder will be a quarter-final clash against 21-year-old Kyle Edmund, who recently praised Murray for being a role model for him. On paper Murray should encounter minimal difficulty against the young player, however, he has admitted that he is pleasantly surprised by the surge in Edmund’s form this year.
“I think he’s done better sort of quicker than people maybe expected,” the world No.2 said of Edmund.
“The last sort of 18 months or so he has made big improvements, won a number of Challengers and is winning more consistently on the tour now on all surfaces, which is very good.”
Drawing parallels between Edmund’s Journey and his own, Murray’s upcoming match has triggered memories of his first high profile all-British encounter. In 2005 he made headlines after stunning sixth seed Tim Henman in the first round of the Swiss Open at the age of 18.
“I remember the match I played against him in Basel very well. It felt strange in comparison to playing other guys because Tim was someone that I looked up.” He recounted.
The tides have now turned for Murray. Unlike Basel 2005, he is now the one who is admired by many, including his next opponent at The Queen’s Club. Life has certainly changed for the Brit and it is all for the better.
