• AEGON Championships

Murray still affected by ankle injury

Andy Murray revealed he had wrestled with the decision whether or not to play at Queen's, after coming through his opening match against Xavier Malisse.

The Scot needed three sets to beat the resilient Belgian as he made his bow at the AEGON Championships, but nearly didn't play at all due to a partial tear of a tendon in his right ankle he sustained during his run to the French Open semi-finals last week.

Doctors assured him the injury would not get worse from playing on it, but nevertheless the 24-year-old was wary of playing with Wimbledon looming so close on the horizon.

"It's been quite a stressful few days to decide [whether to play], because I was desperate to play here but also didn't want to end up messing up for Wimbledon, so it's just been difficult," said Murray. "Everyone's given me a lot of good advice but it obviously comes down to my decision in the end."

He had previously been worried about the potential affect on his injury of changing surface to grass, and admitted the pace of the court at Queen's had caused him real trouble.

"I don't mind a slow grass court but it's just so slow, the slowest I've seen it," he said. "The conditions probably had something to do with it and also Paris was playing much faster than usual this year."

Murray will now face 14th seed Janko Tipsarevic in the next round - a player he lost to in the same event five years ago. He was also beaten last time he faced the Croatian, in Dubai last year.

"He's a very good player, I lost to him here a few years ago," Murray, whose career record against Tipsarevic is three wins from six contests, said. "He's a good grass-court player, tricky opponent.

"I have to play better than my first round if I want to win that one."

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