As attracts and preparations go it’s not an understatement to say that neither have been ultimate for Andy Murray.
The Briton has endured a reasonably poor 2024, blighted by damage and defeats. He comes into what many are assuming will probably be his final French Open on the again of a chastening straight-sets loss to world No 85 Yannick Hanfmann within the Geneva Open and along with his ankle damage nonetheless recent in his reminiscence. Every week earlier than that defeat he misplaced early on on the Bordeaux Challenger with the one factor worse than the poor outcomes being his laborious motion.
While it’s clear that for each their greatest days are properly behind them it’s nonetheless unusual to see a first-round match between Murray and Stan Wawrinka. Between them they’ve gained six grand slams and proved themselves to be all-time greats, which in the course of the period of the Big Three isn’t any imply feat.
If there’s any crumb of consolation for Murray it’s that Wawrinka hasn’t overwhelmed a top-50 participant on the tour since September’s US Open. But aside from that the outlook isn’t nice for the tremendous Scot.
As our very personal Simon Briggs writes…
“One suspects that [Wawrinka] could also be slightly extra sprightly across the court docket, if solely due to the ankle damage that interrupted Murray’s season in late March.
“The entire factor has the flavour of a stock-car demolition derby between two historic and bashed-up automobiles. As with Nadal, we most likely gained’t see both of them again at Roland Garros subsequent yr.”
But a Murray vs Wawrinka match is all the time one to get the juices following and victory for both would possibly simply be the tonic they should propel them deep right into a grand slam in what could be their closing yr on tour.
Stay right here to seek out out whether or not that will probably be Murray or Wawrinka.
