Murray fit for Wimbledon after victory over Tipsarevic
Andy Murray is fit for Wimbledon
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Tuesday, 17, Jun 2008 09:31
Andy Murray beat Janko Tipsarevic 6-3 5-7 12/10 in the Boodles Challenge match to confirm his fitness for Wimbledon.
The Scot had pulled out of the Artois Championship through a thumb injury and revealed that it had caused him some pain during the contest.
Murray had to work hard for the win that saw him survive match points against his opponent, ranked number 40 in the world.
"I managed to play some good tennis," he said.
"There were a few times when I mishit the ball that I felt the thumb, but I was able to play for around an hour and a half and it felt OK," he explained.
Murray was strong in the opening set and took an early break but the second set was a closer contest as Tipsarevic began to find his range.
He led 6-5 and broke the Scot to force a final set in the exhibition match at Stoke Park Club.
The Serbian then left Murray with a chance to win the match after he volleyed an overhead shot into the net.
Confirming he will be fit for the lawn tennis championships, which start on Monday, Murray said he was heading to SW19 to practice with some of the other players.
John McEnroe, a former Wimbledon Champion, backed Murray's claims of fitness and said the Brit has a chance to win the tournament.
"He has an advantage at Wimbledon because there are not a lot of people that feel comfortable there. He's in the mix," he explained.
The seven-time grand slam winner also said the Scot looked strong and fitter in his preparations for the tournament.