Murray disappointed with fitness after exiting Paris, says he needs to work more in tennis

After losing to French wildcard Gilles Simon in the opening round of the Paris Masters, former world number one Andy Murray claimed he will need to work harder in the gym if he wants to play on the ATP Tour.

On Monday, Simon overcame a set deficit to defeat Murray 4-6 7-5 6-3. Murray, a three-time Grand Slam champion, had cramps in the second set.

Murray, who has battled to rediscover his best form following undergoing two hip operations, told reporters, "Having that happen after a set and a half on an indoor court when it's not especially hot is not really acceptable."

"My hip has nothing to do with it. Simply put, I believe I need to put in more effort. Obviously, there are some activities I can no longer perform, therefore I must be a little more cautious with some of my training.

However, I can definitely go further and push myself further than I have in the past. It's quite challenging what I'm attempting to do. I have to perform above and beyond to be competitive.

Murray advanced to the finals in Sydney and Stuttgart throughout the first half of the season, moving up the rankings from 134th to 48th this year.

The 35-year-old claimed that playing in Newport, Rhode Island right after Wimbledon could have prevented his recent decline in form if he had chosen to participate in a specific training programme.

If I'm being totally honest, Murray said, "I don't think that's necessarily been happening the last four or five months, when the issue sort of started in Newport, Washington time.

"Playing Newport might have been one of my blunders. I may have completed a training session there to experience the heat and better prepare for the summer.

(source : reuters)