Henman Hopes Murray Prepares For Wimbledon Defense Cautiously

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 17th February 2014

Henman Hopes Murray Prepares For Wimbledon Defense Cautiously

epa04078036 Andy Murray of Britain leaves the court after losing his quarter-final match against Croat Marin Cilic for the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 14 February 2014. EPA/KOEN SUYK |

Tim Henman is hoping that British tennis heir Andy Murray can stay relaxed as the summer title defense of his Wimbledon crown slowly approaches. There are still four months until the start of play at the All England club, but the far-sighted Henman knows the huge pressure of national expectations which Murray will be facing.

The four-time Wimbledon semi-finalist advised his former protégé in an interview with London’s Evening Standard to approach the fortnight by concentrating on solid preparation. Henman said that Murray’s Australian Open quarter-final loss was not a huge problem given that the Scot was making a return from back surgery in the autumn.

“I liked what I saw at the Australian Open from Andy after his recovery from the back operation — the signs were good,” said Henman. “He is pleased with where he is at and the long build-up to Wimbledon is going to be fantastic.

“It is vital that Andy enjoys the defence of his title but there are so many elements to the tennis year that it will be intriguing to see how things develop in the lead-up to the Championships.”

Henman also noted that the high-pressure sport continues to cause player injuries throughout the long season. “When you see players coming into the new season with injuries and already carrying strapping on various parts of their bodies in January, then it only serves to highlight how hard the sport is and how demanding the schedule can be.

“There really isn’t an off-season and that’s the nature of the beast. It is vital that players get their schedule right to ensure they are ready for the Aussie Open and the rest of the year. You cannot play every week, and a couple of weeks away is vital. When you look at Federer’s record and the number of Slams he has competed in, it highlights how he plans so far in advance.”

Topics: 10sballs, Andy Murray, Australian Open, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News, Tim Henman, Wimbledon

Follow 10SBALLS.COM on:

Facebook:

Twitter:

10sBalls_com says:

February 17, 2014 at 2:45 pm

Henman Hopes Murray Prepares For Wimbledon Defense Cautiously – http://t.co/X1hObmEWbL @andy_murray #TimHenman #Wimbledon #tennis #news
tennisit1 says:

February 17, 2014 at 4:02 pm

RT @wimbledon13: #wimbledon Henman Hopes Murray Prepares For Wimbledon Defense Cautiously – 10sBalls http://t.co/G5ZW76tU7E