Andy Murray must raise game for Wimbledon’s second week – Tim Henman

Tim Henman feels Andy Murray will need to step up his form if he is to challenge again for the Wimbledon title.

All the big guns have had a chance to impress, with defending champion Murray the only one to be seriously tested heading into the weekend.

That came on Friday evening when the world number one narrowly avoided being taken to a fifth set by volatile Italian Fabio Fognini.

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have looked strong through the opening rounds, with one player in particular impressing Henman.

Speaking at an event with HSBC at Wimbledon, Henman told Press Association Sport: “Nadal for me has been probably the stand-out on the men’s side, he’s played fantastically well.

“I’d be very surprised if the winner came outside of the top four. They’re playing well, they’ve got the history and the experience of having won here before so it’s going to be interesting to watch.

“I think Federer and Nadal are the favourites. Andy’s just got to keep upping his game.

“He’s had such a tough time with injury and illness. He did it in Paris, not really coming in with great preparation and getting very close to the final so hopefully he can go one better here.”

Murray and Nadal are seeded to meet in the semi-finals, with Federer and Djokovic in the other half of the draw.

Those four players have shared the Wimbledon title between them for the last 14 years but have never all been in the semi-finals in the same year.

Murray’s path to the last four opened up with the elimination of Stan Wawrinka, Nick Kyrgios and Lucas Pouille. But, after cruising through his first two rounds, he nearly came unstuck against Fognini, fighting back from 5-2 down in the fourth set and saving five set points.

Henman said: “He’s done well. Any time you get through the first week it’s good, and with his schedule playing Monday, Wednesday, Friday, it’s a good scenario. He’s got a couple of days off to rest and recuperate and work on aspects of his game and he’ll be ready to go for the second week.

“Fognini’s a good player, it was a step up in class. They’d played six times and Fognini’s beaten him three times so he would have taken confidence going into the match.

“Grass is a better surface for Andy but he did very well to come through in four sets without having to shut the roof and keep going later on into the evening. He’ll be very relieved, as we all were, to get through that.”

Next up for Murray is another unorthodox player in Frenchman Benoit Paire, who has never been beyond the fourth round at any grand slam.

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