ANDY MURRAY is in a race against time to be fit for Wimbledon.
The two-time SW19 champion admits the “very slow” recovery process has been longer than he hoped and says he still hopes to be fit for the grass-court season as planned.
But the fact Murray has only just returned to training suggests he will struggle to be fit to play next week at an event in Rosmalen, Holland – the first he has officially entered since his hip surgery in January.
And if the Scot were unable to compete there, or at the Fever-Tree Championships at Queen’s the following week, then he would surely not risk making his comeback in a best-of-five-sets event like Wimbledon.
Asked about his rehabilitation from the hip problem which first emerged at last year’s French Open, Murray said: “It’s been very slow.
“I’ve been out getting close to a year now which is a lot longer than I think me or any of my team expected at the beginning.
“But I’m getting closer to playing again, I’ve started training a few days ago and hoping to make my comeback during the grass court season.”
Murray has not played competitively since his Wimbledon quarter-final defeat last year by Sam Querrey.
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Asked if he would be in contention to win Wimbledon this year, Murray again could express only hope.
Murray said: “I’m hoping I will be there [in contention at Wimbledon] but Roger Federer has obviously got a phenomenal record on grass.
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“He’s won seven [sic] times at Wimbledon so he’ll definitely up there as one of the favourites. But you never know, it depends a little bit on the draw.”
In fact, Federer set a new record of eight men’s singles titles at SW19 last year.
It seems unlikely that Murray will be in good enough shape to add to his two this year – and may not play at all.
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