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Murray 'shocked' by Baltacha diagnosis

Andy Murray is hopeful another Rally Against Cancer fundraiser will be staged, which he believes will help Elena Baltacha © Getty Images

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Andy Murray believes Elena Baltacha has the right attitude to face liver cancer but revealed his own shock at hearing the news from his mother Judy.

On Friday, Baltacha released a statement declaring she was undergoing treatment for the illness, but vowed to fight it with everything she had.

Murray took part in the Rally Against Cancer fundraiser following the culmination of last year's AEGON Championships at Queen's Club. The event was set up by Murray's good friend Ross Hutchins who, in January 2013, had been diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Murray is keen to get involved in a second instalment of the fundraiser, should it be organised - something he hopes Baltacha will do too.

"I'm sure this year, if we do the Rally Against Cancer, that's something that would be great to get Elena involved in at an early stage," Murray said. "I believe that helped Ross a little bit as well, so maybe that would be a nice thing to do.

"If there's anything I could do - I'm sure any of the guys on the tour and the girls - if there's anything we could do that could help, we would."

Despite his support, Murray admitted he was shocked by the news of Baltacha's diagnosis when his mother and British Fed Cup team coach Judy had told him.

"I heard about it from my mum a couple of weeks ago - she'd gone in to see her in the hospital. You're obviously shocked to hear that," Murray said.

"I've known Bally for a long time. She's so young, she's just retired, you're expecting her to enjoy just a nice happy life.

"She's just got married as well so you feel bad. Life is very, very unfair. I think she has the right attitude. My mum told me that she was unbelievably positive very soon after finding out."

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