"Fingers crossed Andy Murray's good for the grass because he can beat so many of these guys with his skillset" - Brit's ex-coach Jamie Delgado
Andy Murray's former coach, Jamie Delgado, recently expressed his hope that the former World No. 1 is still in top form and ready to compete on the grass. Delgado stated that he is confident in Murray's skill-set which will allow him to defeat top players on grass.
Murray's campaign at the ongoing Miami Open came to an end when he was defeated by Tomas Machac 5-7, 7-5, 7-6(5) in the third round. During the third set, Murray rolled his ankle and screamed in pain. This caused the ATP physiotherapist to attend to him and provide medical care so that he could finish the match.
Following the match, Murray took to social media to announce that he had suffered a full rupture of the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) and an almost full-thickness rupture of his calcaneofibular ligament (CFL). He stated that he would be consulting with an ankle specialist and would be taking an extended break from the sport.
"Yesterday towards the end of my match in Miami I suffered a full rupture of my ATFL and near full thickness rupture of my CFL. I will see an ankle specialist when I return home to determine next steps. Goes without saying this is a tough one to take and I’ll be out for an extended period. But I’ll be back with 1 hip and no ankle ligaments when the time is right 😉 ," Andy Murray captioned his Instagram post.
Andy Murray who had previously stated that he was likely not going to play past this summer, worried his fans and critics with this injury update post, who became quite skeptical of his ability to play and retire on his terms.
The Brit's former coach, Jamie Delgado, who guided him to the 2016 Wimbledon Championships title, expressed hope that Murray would recover in time for the grass court season, particularly the Wimbledon Championships, which is his home Grand Slam.
Delgado emphasized his belief in Andy Murray's ability and skill set to compete against top players on grass courts and defeat them.
"Fingers crossed he’s good for the grass because I still believe on a grass court, especially; he can beat so many of these guys still with his skillset, and let’s hope he has a good run there," Delgado said (via Sky Sports).
"I mean, he does play the slices really well. His movement, naturally on the grass, has been better than anyone—the way he can flatten the ball out and take the ball early. I think even more now at this stage in his career, where it's still physical, but maybe it's less physical; it's more about skill. And I still think he gets the better of most of them, to be honest. Still now," he added.
Andy Murray: "I am looking forward to the end now, give my best the next few months"
Earlier this year, Andy Murray, while talking about his retirement, stated that he is "looking forward" to the end. He said that he wants to give his best in the months that are left in his career and then spend time with his family.
Murray also talked about the city of Miami, stating that it holds a dear place in his heart as he has had a successful run there and this was also the city where has trained for quite a while.
"I am looking forward to the end now, give my best the next few months and get to be at home with my family," Andy Murray said (via Daily Mail). "Miami has been a special place for me during my career. It's been my tennis home, really. I've done so much of my work and training and preparation here. I love the city."
Andy Murray also credited himself for being able to compete against the younger players nowadays.
"To still be able to compete with these guys is a credit to myself and the work that I've done and the effort that I've put into this to keep myself in this position," he added.