Despite losing in the first round of the 2023 Cinch Championships, Andy Murray may still be seeded at the 2023 Wimbledon.
Every match Andy Murray played this year was with the goal of improving enough to be a challenger at Wimbledon this year and being a seed would be a major boost towards that goal.
Back in 2021, Andy Murray started off his year at the Biella ATP Challenger after missing out on the Australian Open. He made the final at the event but lost to Ilya Marchenko 6-2 6-4. That year was filled with plenty of disappointments for the Brit who finished with 20 wins that year.
It was the most since 2017 yet calls for retirement were frequent. Many wondered why he kept playing but his passion for the sport was simply strong. Passion and belief that a player who once stood confidently with the Big Three at their peak could offer something to tennis.
Plenty of great matches were contested by Murray since then with the Australian Open run earlier this year certainly taking the top spot. It signalled to many that he can still beat some of the better players if he truly plays his best tennis. After that experience, his whole focus shifted to Wimbledon and for good reason. Winning 10 matches on grass this year didn't happen by chance.
He's an excellent player on the surface with a lot of experience which is crucial. In his own words, Murray is still Top 10 on grass and that could be true. Even a bad loss to de Minaur didn't shake his confidence as he refused to overreact. It's a smart thing to do because playing 10 matches in 14 days took a toll on his body and he simply didn't have it that day.
The reason for playing so many matches wasn't necessarily to get in as many matches as possible. It was to try and become a seed at the event because of the much easier draw he could get. He didn't get it done but he could still be a seeded player. Murray only needs four more withdrawals from the event and there are unfortunately some good candidates.
Berrettini is in the draw but unlikely to play after a withdrawal from Queen's. Sinner recently withdrew from Halle due to an injury. Nick Kyrgios is questionable with the status of his knee not ideal, so Murray could get lucky with others getting unlucky.
Moreover, Yoshihito Nishioka withdrew from multiple grass court events, and so has Felix Auger-Aliassime. With four withdrawals needed, and at least five doubtful players, Murray's chances increased rapidly over the past few hours, as Karen Khachanov became another player to pull out of the tournament.
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