Wimbledon 2021: Andy Murray on losing to Denis Shapovalov

Wimbledon 2021 at the BBC Dates: All England Club: 28 June-11 Jul Coverage: Live on BBC TV, Radio and Online with extensive coverage on BBC iPlayer and Red Button, Connected TVs, and mobile app. You can find more details hereAfter a promising run at Wimbledon, Andy Murray said he needed to assess "if all of the hard work was worth it." Canada's Denis Shapovalov ended his encouraging run.After a groin injury, Briton, 34, played only his second tournament in three weeks and said that it was "positive" to come out of the injury unscathed.He said, "The downside is that I feel like I could do better tennis-wise and play better matches out.""I need to spend time on the practice and match courts. "I've never had either."Murray was disappointed that he didn't reach a higher level after losing in straight sets in round three to Shapovalov, the 10th seed."There's a part in me that feels like I've put so much effort the last three months but it didn't work out how I expected. And it's like, is it worth it? Murray, who will be playing in the Tokyo Olympics later in the month, said:"Unless me and my teammates can find a way to keep me on the court for a consistent amount of time and allow to me practice the way I need to compete with these men, then we will start to talk about what I should do next."I don't expect and say I would beat Denis. He is a great player. However, I believe I could do better than what I did tonight."I hope that if I can keep on the court for at least two, three, or four months, my tennis will return to a high standard."Murray was playing only his fifth tournament and his first Grand Slam after last year's French Open.Murray, who had a hip operation in January 2019 that he believed would end his career, has returned to court and won an Antwerp title later that year.His progress has been hampered since by pelvic and back injuries. He was also excluded from the Australian Open in early this year due to his positive coronavirus test.Scot said that he felt like he'd tried a lot over the past two years since the operation, but was unable to find the right momentum."To compete with Denis's level of players, my game must be flawless."After a win, Murray defeated Georgia's 24th seed Nikoloz Basilashvili. He then fought back to defeat Oscar Otte, a German qualifier.The 2013 and 2016 Wimbledon champion said, "This week was really good in many ways, but frustrating too.""I played two matches that were very long and it was significantly longer than any other match I have played in the last six months.""I feel like this is something I have put in a lot of effort into and losing against him is hard. I will put in so much effort, I expect to perform better."I made it through the week without being injured, so that's a positive. There were some moments of great tennis, but also some very bad moments.AnalyseRussell Fuller, BBC tennis correspondentMurray can consider The Championships a success despite the groin injury that hampered him preparations.He saw it differently in the aftermath of defeat. He questioned his appetite for the sport and if he would have the opportunity to continue playing despite being injured.This was a marked change in tone from a man who had spoken of his desire for play for some time, even though logic is not inescapable.Murray has a persistent groin problem. Four months later, Murray is still in pain and has been forced to cut back on his practice sessions. He was able to only complete two tournaments during that time.Wimbledon offered a glimpse into how miraculously Murray can still be competitive after his double hip surgery.He will need to be able to do that for a few more months. He has not been able to do that since 2016.