Murray has ‘shown enough’ to beat players like Tsitsipas, according to former coach

Jamie Delgado, who used to coach Andy Murray, thinks the former world No. 1 can still challenge the best players in the game. “He just needs a little bit of luck to get through a match like that. He could have been in the semi-finals, I really think that.”

He said this after Murray’s early Wimbledon loss to Stefanos Tsitsipas, which dashed any hopes of a magical run at the All England Club.

Andy Murray can still match up with players like Stefanos Tsitsipas and compete at the highest level, his ex-coach Jamie Delgado thinks.

The Scot’s Wimbledon hopes were crushed as the Greek ace won a thrilling five-setter in the second round last week.

Murray, who lifted the Wimbledon trophy in 2013 and 2016, has struggled with a chronic hip problem in recent years and almost quit the sport in 2019 as his career was in doubt.

But he seems to have finally overcome those troubles, and entered his home slam in top form.

However, the 36-year-old would have been frustrated to bow out of the tournament so soon to fifth seed Tsitsipas after breezing past fellow Brit Ryan Peniston in the first round, Delgado believes.

“I am sure he will be devastated by that,” Delgado said of the Tsitsipas defeat. “He had opportunities to win that match and the draw opened up a little bit and he could have had a really deep run here.

“On a surface he really likes and the history he has got here, I am sure he will be really disappointed.”

Murray won titles in London and Nottingham during the build-up to Wimbledon as he sparked talk of a fairytale Wimbledon run.

And Delgado is convinced that Murray can still compete with the best of them.

“He has been playing really well, physically he has looked really good and he is moving well,” he said. “Once he gets his head around it he will be able to have a good run at some other tournaments.

“He would have ranking goals but for him it is more competing for the biggest titles rather than rankings.

“I still think he can win events and he has shown enough that he can beat someone like Tsitsipas.

“He just needs a little bit of luck to get through a match like that. He could have been in the semi-finals here, I really think that.”

Murray suffered from osteoarthritis in his hip and underwent surgery several times over the past decade to try and fix the issue.

“Watching him now it doesn’t even look like he has anything in the hip,” Delgado said as he reflected on Murray’s physical state.

“That has probably been a huge achievement in itself, seeing him play and move almost as good as he ever did.

“We all sometimes forget when you are watching him that he has had that injury but he has worked so hard to get himself feeling this way.”