Andy Murray hoping for a turnaround in fortunes at French Open
World No 1 has been under the weather on the eve of the tournament
Saturday 27 May 2017 16:14, UK
Andy Murray says he is determined to enjoy his "struggle" a little bit in the hope that he will turn his fortunes around at the French Open.
The Scot will head to Roland Garros with just five wins under his belt since February and a difficult looking opening round contest against Russian Andrey Kuznetsov, who arrives in Paris on the back of a run to the semi-finals of the Geneva Open.
But Murray, 30, will be looking to go one better and win his first title at the French Open after reaching the final 12 months ago, despite making the worst start to a year by a world No 1 since Pete Sampras in 1999.
He said: "The last few months have not been good, obviously. I haven't played well. I had a few issues, as well. I need to accept that I'm struggling and then find a way to get through it.
"I will get through it, I'm sure of that. When that happens, I don't know. Hopefully it happens in a few days. If it doesn't, maybe it happens during the grass.
"But the only way to get through it is to work your way through it, keep working on your game, try and understand what's not been going right.
"Although it's very frustrating, you have to try to enjoy this part of what we do as well because the struggles are part of what make the good times so enjoyable.
"I need to enjoy my struggle a little bit just now and that will help me get through it quicker, I believe."
Murray was diagnosed with shingles on his return home from the Australian Open and was laid low by a virus in March before having to pull out of the Miami Open with an elbow injury.
Although he was unable to practise at the start of the week due to a lingering cough, he has insisted he will be ready for his first-round match.
He said: "It's been frustrating, obviously, because it's the third time this year where I've missed days or been in bed for a few days.
"To be honest, it should happen more really, considering the amount that we travel and stuff, how long the season is. I have been pretty lucky with that over the last couple of years.
"So maybe they have just come in a small space of time. But I feel okay now. I will be all good when the tournament starts."
Murray has been reunited with coach Ivan Lendl this week having not spent significant time with the 57-year-old since Australia in January.
They would have worked together in Miami had Murray not been injured, and have been in regular telephone contact, but Boris Becker was the latest to raise an eyebrow.
In Lendl's absence, Murray has had assistant Jamie Delgado by his side, and he was quick to point out how well that arrangement worked last year.
"The reason we're talking about it is I haven't been playing well," he said.
"But the end of last year between Wimbledon and the O2, I saw Ivan for two weeks, basically, and I played great. It's not his fault. I'm very happy with the team I have around me when he isn't there.
"But I do think in this situation when I have been struggling that having someone coming in with a fresh voice, different set of eyes, that can help and give you a different perspective.
"And he's been through some struggles in his own career, as well, and understands how to get out of it. He can definitely help me with that."
For those on the move, we will have the French Open from Roland Garros covered via our website skysports.com/tennis, our app for mobile devices and iPad, or follow our Twitter account @SkySportsTennis to join in the conversation. Can Andy Murray win the French Open? Have your say...
Sky customers can now upgrade to Sky Sports for an unmissable summer of sport. Upgrade now!
