Body is feeling the best in really long time: Andy Murray stoked after thrilling win over Stan Wawrinka in Cincinnati

Former World No. 1 Andy Murray said he feels his body is in the best shape in a really long time after he overcame the first-round hurdle at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Cincinnati on Monday, August 15.

Andy Murray overcame familiar foe Stanislas Wawrinka 7-6 (3), 5-7, 7-5 in a hard-fought first-round match at the Cincinnati Open, which is the last big test for the Scott before US Open 2022. Murray had to battle hard and win the opening set in a tie-breaker against Wawrinka in their 22nd meeting on the tour.

In the second set, an unfortunate broken racket net led to Murray conceding a match point to Wawrinka which the Swiss star gladly accepted and converted.

Murray, 35, and Wawrinka, 37, both needed visits from physiotherapists in the third set, in which Murray fought back after conceding an early break. He was made to work hard as the Scot converted only his 4th match point to progress to the second round.

“In terms of how I pulled up after matches and stuff has been the best I have felt in a really long time. So that’s good. I would like my tennis to be better at times because I’m still convinced that it can be better than where it is right now. It’s been some good moments this year,” Murray said.

“It’s not been easy these last few years to stay fit and healthy and play enough tennis to get matches, to learn from it and to build confidence and to get my body physically robust enough to compete week in week out. So that’s a positive thing that I got to play lots of matches or more matches this year.

“Hopefully, I can continue that through the end of the season,” he added.

Murray will next face British No. 1 Cameron Norrie, who defeated Holger Rune in a first-round battle, in the second round in Cincinnati. The 3-time Grand Slam champion defeated Norrie in 3 sets in their only meeting on the tour – on hard courts in Beijing in 2019.

Murray has played 37 matches on the tour so far this season, which is the most he has played in a calendar year since 2016.

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