Andy Murray in tears after winning return at Queen’s as injury-plagued Brit edges past Benoit Paire… in his first singles match on grass for THREE YEARS!
- An emotional Murray came through his comeback match unscathed on Tuesday
- The 34 year-old belied fears that he would be unable to compete properly
- He will face top seed Matteo Berrettini in the second round at Queen’s
An emotional Andy Murray came through his comeback match unscathed on Tuesday, edging his way past mercurial Frenchman Benoit Paire.
The 34 year-old Scot belied fears that he would be unable to compete properly by beating his first singles opponent since the start of March by a scoreline of 6-3, 6-2, to make the second round of the cinch Championships.
Any win for Murray these days is a triumph, given how he is having to restrict his training to protect his hip.
Andy Murray made a winning return in his first singles match on grass for three years
However his opponent’s game is in such disarray at present – he has won one match in his last 13 tournaments – that it was difficult to put into context.
‘The body is old but I did quite well today in terms of my movement – that was my first match on grass in three years,’ he said, choking back tears on his BBC interview post-match.
‘For a first match it was good. I love playing tennis and competing is why you put in the hard work.’
An emotional Murray came through his comeback match unscathed on Tuesday
Murray’s movement was good enough to see off someone who has made no secret of their struggles with bubble life, and the former world No 1 remains an excellent ballstriker. He was warmly welcomed by a sun-drenched Queen’s.
His serve and return were solid and that was enough to do the job and gain what was a second win on tour over what has been a severely restricted year.
He will definitely meet more committed and confident opponents than this, starting with top seed Matteo Berrettini in the next round.