Andy Murray spent 20 years utilizing the identical racket body however made a change on the finish of 2021 that he admits may have backfired – though he’s now assured it has not.The 34-year-old has used the identical Head racket – a customized PT57A Graphene XT Radical Professional, to be actual – all through his skilled profession however switched to a brand new body within the low season.Murray additionally cut up along with his long-time coach and shut good friend Jamie Delgado, bringing in Jan De Witt to work with him for the early a part of the season.The modifications may have had a discombobulating impact on the previous world No 1’s efforts to return to the highest of the sport, however after a three-hour victory over Nikoloz Basilashvili in Sydney on Wednesday, he reassured followers that he was comfortable along with his new set-up.Extra from Tennis“Simply to get a match win like that early within the season with the brand new racket is nice and can give me confidence that I’ve made the appropriate resolution there,” Murray stated after coming from a set all the way down to win 6-7 7-6 6-3.“If I used to be shedding a number of matches early within the 12 months, shut ones, not profitable in opposition to form of gamers that possibly final season I received in opposition to, I’d begin to doubt that call.“However I feel it’s a very good win for me for a variety of causes, and I can string extra collectively in these subsequent couple of weeks.”The racket change, Murray defined on the finish of final 12 months, is to create larger margin for error, given he’s a person with a steel hip making an attempt to compete in singles tennis, one thing no elite participant has ever managed to the very high degree.i understands Murray did in depth trials with a number of completely different rackets and has adopted a wider string sample in addition to three further sq. inches in head measurement, just like a transfer that Roger Federer has additionally made within the latter levels of his profession. It ought to give Murray extra energy; his former coach Mark Petchey likened it to “taking part in off the entrance tees in golf”.Murray stated in December 2021: “I simply felt that I needs to be making an attempt one thing that’s possibly just a little bit simpler to play with, just a little bit extra forgiving.“Particularly if I’m not transferring fairly in addition to I used to be prior to now and possibly I’m arriving barely, only a cut up second later to some balls and I’m lacking the centre of the racquet, it nonetheless provides me some assist.”Associated StoriesHis look at this week’s Sydney Tennis Basic, his first ever go to to the Australian metropolis, is a precursor to his return to the Australian Open, a match he final performed again in 2019 after which he stated he feared it will be his final grand slam.Murray went out within the first spherical on that event and has not received a match in Melbourne since 2017, earlier than both of his hip operations.The perfect-of-five-sets grand slam format will take a look at his powers of health and restoration, however Murray believes he has been given good preparation by going the gap with the likes of Basilashvili.“Clearly I’d have appreciated to have closed the match out sooner, however I feel bodily I did effectively,” Murray added.“It was very humid on the courtroom, which your physique can react barely otherwise to [compared with] being out within the solar.“It’s not simple taking part in a match like that: an extended one, ending form of late, round midnight and stuff, and hanging round the entire day to play the match. So I used to be pleased with how I dealt with the match bodily.“I feel that may additionally give me just a little little bit of confidence. I nonetheless had a bit left within the tank there on the finish, so that may stand me in good stead if I’m in that state of affairs subsequent week in Melbourne.”Comply with i sport on Fb for extra tennis information, interviews and options, or take heed to the Love Tennis Podcast introduced by i‘s James Grey on iTunes, Spotify or simply search “Love Tennis” wherever you get your podcasts
