ANDY MURRAY FACES WIMBLEDON D-DAY: I JUST WANT ONE LAST MATCH ON CENTRE
Andy Murray grew emotional on Sunday as he told reporters that he is hoping for “a bit of closure” at Wimbledon this week.
Murray remains unsure whether he will be able to compete in the men’s singles, just 10 days after undergoing a “decompression of spinal stenosis” in his back.
But there is an alternative: a shorter and less physically demanding outing in the men’s doubles, which he and brother Jamie have entered via a wild card. Should he take that option, he would have another couple of days’ grace, as the doubles do not start until Wednesday.
“I just want the opportunity to play one more time out there on Centre Court, and feel that buzz,” said Murray, his voice quavering as he spoke.
Practising at Wimbledon on Sunday, Murray played a set with Jack Pinnington-Jones, a 21-year-old Londoner who is due to play in the doubles event here.
He said that he was “hitting the ball well”, but he also admitted: “I still don’t have 100 per cent feeling and sensation in my leg yet. I’m going to play another set again tomorrow. I’m doing some physical testing in the morning to see how far off I am from a physical perspective. Then I will probably make a decision tomorrow evening after that.”
Asked to describe the nature of the issue, Murray said: “I had quite a large cyst, which was compressing my nerves, which then lost a lot of control in my right leg.
“That is getting better. But it’s like if you sleep on your arm funny, you wake up and you’ve got a dead arm. It’s like that feeling, but it goes on for a lot longer because the nerve has been squashed and a little bit damaged for a number of days.
“How long that takes to regain its full sort of function again is impossible to say. For some people it takes months; for some people it’s weeks. It’s been getting better every day. I’m hopeful that that continues and it’s going to be enough to be on the court on Tuesday.”
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Murray has previously said there are risks associated with competing so soon after a procedure which is normally recommended to come with six-to-12 weeks of rest.
But when questioned on the specifics on Sunday, he replied: “The biggest risk is sort of from the wound perspective, a reopening of the wound. My spine is strong and stable. The inflammation is coming down every single day. There’s been minimal disruption to the muscles and everything.
“Yeah, the issue would be if the wound, which is extremely small, was to reopen, I would then have to go and have that sorted. But I’m okay with a few stitches coming loose or whatever.”
Asked about the support of his family, Murray replied: “It’s extremely important. They always have been throughout my whole career, whether that be my parents from a young age, [or] having my brother with me on the tour, [or] my wife. We’ve been together since I was 18, and she’s been through the whole journey with me.
“It’s not easy for them either. Everyone close to me would want the opportunity for me to play here again. So, yeah, we’re all kind of going through it together.”
2024-06-30T17:12:47Z dg43tfdfdgfd