Andy Murray discusses the physical challenges of his punishing schedule

Andy Murray arrived at the Montreal Masters on the back of a gruelling run of tournaments so is hoping his fitness holds up throughout the hard court season.

After reaching the Wimbledon semi-finals, he launched himself back into Davis Cup action and then headed for the Washington Open where he was handed a surprise defeat by Teymuraz Gabashvili.

His Montreal campaign began against Tommy Robredo on Tuesday night in a match that was rained off at 4-4 in the opening set. Beforehand, the British No 1 explained the physical exertions at this point of the tennis season.

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"It’s demanding playing on hard courts" he said. "It’s tough on the joints, it’s hard on the body.

"On grass it’s a little more forgiving so it takes time for your body to get used to that.

"In Washington, I had a tough loss. I had a chance to serve the match out and, if I got through that one, maybe I would feel better."

It’s demanding playing on hard courts. It’s tough on the joints, it’s hard on the body.

Below-par showings in Canada in the past few years motivate Murray to give himself a more successful foundation heading into the upcoming US Open, the scene of his first Grand Slam triumph.

But Murray's aim is to perfectly time his physical peak to propel him through the North American hard court swing and into Flushing Meadows.

"I like the conditions here but I’ve struggled in the past couple of years" he said. "I don’t know why that is.

"I’ve lost to some tough opponents - lost to Ernests Gulbis who’s a big server and a tricky guy to play. Last year, I lost to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who went on to win the tournament and I was a break up in the third set of that match.

"It’s different conditions here to Indian Wells and Miami where the courts are pretty slow. Washington and Montreal are quite quick. Hopefully I can have a good run ahead of the next few weeks."

Watch today's matches at the Montreal Masters from 5.30pm on Sky Sports 3.