A statement and a win: Murray insists he is still among top 10 in world on grass

Sure-footed on the court, bullish off it: Andy Murray began his grasscourt season with an efficient 6-3, 6-2 victory against Hyeon Chung in the first round of the Surbiton Trophy before offering an upbeat assessment of his game before Wimbledon next month.

Asked whether he still saw himself as one of the world’s top 10 players on grass, even in the twilight stage of his career, Murray barely missed a beat. “Yes, I think so,” he replied. “It is hard to put numbers on it, but yes, I would fancy myself against a lot of them.”

The 36-year-old then proceeded to make his case with lawyerly precision. “Last year I won against Nick Kyrgios who made the final of Wimbledon, I won against Stefanos Tsitsipas – it is probably not his favourite surface but he is one of the best players in the world.

“And I was a set all with Matteo Berrettini in the final of Stuttgart, who is quite clearly in the top few grass-court players before I hurt my abs.”

Certainly the early signs look positive. This was not the easiest looking of draws, with Chung having been as high as world No 19 before a series of injuries, but once Murray broke to take a 3-1 lead in the opening set he was rarely troubled.

For serial Murray-watchers two things immediately stood out: the nimbleness of his footwork on the slippy grass, along with the punch and placement of his serve. The Scot won 83% of points on his first serve and 92% on his second. No wonder Chung never got a sniff of a breakpoint.

Afterwards Murray, who skipped the French Open to work on his movement and prepare for Wimbledon, made it clear once more he had no intention of going gently into the good night.

“I still want to win, I want to compete and see how hard I can push my body,” he said. “The