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Murray looks ahead to grass-court swing


 

Originally published on: 07/06/12 00:00

There could be no hiding Andy Murray’s disappointment at losing to David Ferrer in the French Open quarter-finals, but there was a positive side to the Scot’s defeat. Murray has been on the road for most of the last six months, but the arrival of the grass-court season – which this year includes the Olympic tournament at Wimbledon – means that the world No 4 can look forward to spending the next two months at home.
 
Given the back problems he has experienced of late, Murray will welcome the change of surface. “I think the grass will probably help a bit,” he said. “You're not having to generate as much power because the ball is coming into you a little bit more and doesn't get up as high as it does on the clay.”
 
Murray always looks forward to the challenge of playing on grass, a surface on which he has prospered in the past. He has twice won the Aegon Championships at Queen’s Club and has reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon for the last three years in succession
 
“It’s just different,” Murray said. “It’s such a short season. In some ways the rest of the season can get boring in a way. Every week after Wimbledon, hard courts are basically the only surface that’s used for, like, five or six months, whereas when you go to the grass you have literally just a few weeks. It’s so different.
 
“It’s nice for me, anyway. My body doesn’t hurt. For me there’s less stress on the body than on the hard courts. And it’s a different style of tennis, a different mentality you go on the court with. I’ve liked it.”
 
He added: “I can move well on it quite quickly, whereas on the clay it takes me a good few weeks before I feel like I’m moving properly on the clay.”

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Tim Farthing, Tennishead Editorial Director & Owner, has been a huge tennis fan his whole life. He's a tennis journalist and entrepreneur as well as playing tennis to a national standard. He also helps manage his local club and volunteers for his local tennis organisation. He's a specialist in content about the administration of professional tennis and tennis coaching for all levels.