"He is playing fantastic and working really hard, if he is rested well, he can beat most guys" - Richard Krajicek on Andy Murray
In a recent interview with Tennis365, Richard Krajicek hailed Andy Murray's form and pointed out that the Brit has been playing some fantastic tennis and "working really hard" lately. Krajicek admitted that while he was not aware of how Murray's movement at present compares to what it was prior to his hip surgery, he feels that the Brit is in "great shape."
“He is playing fantastic and working really hard. I don’t know how good he is moving compared to how he used to move, but he looks to be in great shape," said Krajicek.
Andy Murray exclusive @tennis365com – Former Wimbledon champ predicts ‘surprise’ success. tennis365.com/tennis-news/an…
Asked whether Andy Murray could soon break into the top-20, Krajicek replied that such a scenario is possible. He also suggested that in order to do so, the Brit would need to be 100% fit and play consistently well for "10 to 12 weeks." He added that it could be tough since the Brit's recovery process is longer given his age and metal hip.
The former World No. 4 stressed that if Murray is well rested, he still has the potential to "beat most of the guys" on the ATP tour.
.@andy_murray hitting with Richard Krajicek while Milos Raonic regrips his racket #mwtc https://t.co/XyuzIveRrN
“Now this year he has got to the finals of Sydney and asked what he can achieve. Can he get back into the top 50, can he maybe go into the top 20? I think maybe it is possible, but I don’t know how it is for him after he makes a good result for his body to come back and have a recovery," mentioned Krajicek.
“If he is rested well, he can beat most guys still. But if he wants to go to the top 20, he has to do that for 10 or 12 weeks of the year and I don’t know if his body can do that, but I take my hat off to him," added the former Dutch player.
Andy Murray is currently ranked 84 in the ATP rankings and is defending virtually no points from last season until the grass swing.
3-time Grand Slam champion and former No. 1 @andy_murray is back in the Top 100!
Murray rises from No. 102 to No. 95 on the ATP rankings today, his first time in the Top 100 since he returned to the tour in June 2018, after his first hip surgery.
Richard Krajicek lauds Andy Murray as a "great person and competitor on the court"
In the same interview, Krajicek also spoke about Murray's personality, calling him a "great person and competitor" who has achieved some amazing milestones in the toughest era of tennis.
The Dutchman feels the Brit's current challenge is to play and succeed with a metal hip. He also reckons the three-time Grand Slam winner could still pull off a few surprises at big tournaments.
Andy Murray: Lots of people said to me, ‘Stop mentioning it, stop talking about metal hip’. And I'm like, ‘Why? It's relevant’. The fact I'm able to still do this & compete with the best players in the world with a metal hip, I'm proud I'm able to do that eurosport.co.uk/tennis/mubadal…
“I think he is a great person and a great competitor on the court. What he has achieved in the toughest era in tennis is amazing," stated Krajicek.
“He still finds the desire and he likes the challenge. The challenge before was winning Slams, he won three of them. He won two Olympic goals, No 1 in the world. Now his challenge is with this metal hip. What is the best he can be with a metal hip? I think he is going to surprise us," concluded the former Wimbledon winner.
"Thanks to everyone here @bnpparibasopen for giving me the opportunity to play here again."
@andy_murray and @SofiaKenin will feature at Indian Wells:
Andy Murray will soon be competing at the Indian Wells Masters, an ATP 1000 event that begins on March 10.
Also Read: "I don't close that window so that a miracle can happen as it has happened with Andy Murray" - Juan Martin del Potro