Andy Murray showed up fit and fresh on Friday for the weekend start of the French Open, confirming that his pullout this week from an exhibition event, which sparked panic on Twitter was a mere precaution.
“I’m just a bit stiff and sore,” confessed the fourth-seeded Scot. “I’ve been training hard in London. I trained most of the day on Wednesday and then came over on the Eurostar, and then I practiced first thing on Thursday morning to warm up for the exhibition.
“I didn’t feel great. I think it was maybe my body just saying to take it easy for a day or so because I have been working very hard. I made a decision not to play the exhibition. I should be fine.”
The decision was interpreted as a pullout from the Grand Slam, which sent British media into a momentary online swoon. But with the issued cleared, there are more pressing matters on Murray’s plate during the fortnight.
“I’ve been playing well on the clay, better than previous years,” said the Monte Carlo and Rome semifinalist. “Physically I’m in good shape, I’ve been moving well, too.
“I’m looking forward to the start of the tournament. You’ve got to be very focused during the French. One bad set or a couple of bad sets, and you can get yourself fatigued or tired early in the tournament. “So you need to be switched on right from the start.”
