Andy Murray warms up for Wimbledon with win over Robredo in exhibition

The defending Wimbledon champion beat Tommy Robredo 6-2, 7-6 (7/1) at the exhibition event at Hurlingham Club on Thursday.

Andy Murray plays in a 'Rally for Bally' charity event on June 15, 2014 at the Queen's Club in London, England. Matthew Stockman / Getty Images

Andy Murray warmed up for the start of his Wimbledon title defence with an emphatic victory over Spain’s Tommy Robredo at the Hurlingham Club on Thursday.

Murray’s preparations for the grasscourt Grand Slam had suffered a setback when he was surprisingly beaten in the third round at Queen’s Club by Czech veteran Radek Stepanek last week, a defeat that ended his 19-match winning run on grass.

But the Scot looked back in the groove as he dispatched world number 22 Robredo 6-2, 7-6 (7/1) in the BNP Paribas Tennis Classic exhibition event.

It was another pre-Wimbledon boost for the 27-year-old, who heard earlier in the week that he will be seeded third in the Grand Slam due to his good record on grass, even though he is currently ranked fifth in the world.

Murray’s Wimbledon campaign will get underway on Monday when he walks on to Centre Court as the first British male defending singles champion since Fred Perry.

It is certain to be a pressure-packed fortnight for Murray, especially as his partnership with new coach Amelie Mauresmo will be closely scrutinised.

Frenchwoman Mauresmo was Murray’s shock choice to replace Ivan Lendl, initially on a trial basis until the end of the short grasscourt season.

With few other leading men coached by women, Murray’s move has raised eyebrows in the tennis world, but he received support from fellow Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli.

Bartoli, who won Wimbledon last year before retiring soon after, believes her compatriot Mauresmo is the “perfect” person to help Murray cope with the pressure of defending his Wimbledon title.

Bartoli is well-placed to judge Mauresmo’s capabilities because it was the 34-year-old to whom she turned last year for help at Wimbledon.

With former former number one and Wimbledon winner Mauresmo in her corner, Bartoli went on to become a surprise champion at the All England Club.

And Bartoli, speaking at the Liverpool Hope University International Tennis Tournament, said: “If Andy’s looking for someone who can help him deal with the pressure of defending the title and coming back again to Wimbledon then he hired the perfect person, because Amelie’s really someone that is able to take all the stress away and make you feel extremely comfortable.

“I really felt that way when she was coaching me as my Fed Cup captain or as my adviser during Wimbledon. She was able to give me some small but great advice in order to deal with my stress.

“She prepares you for the worst and gives you some advice in order to deal with that, so when you start to face that situation you are ready.

“I really felt she was a tremendous help to me last year, especially in the final and semi-final.”

Bartoli expects Murray and Mauresmo to hit it off on a personal level as well, saying: “They’re both extremely funny, I think they will joke around a lot.

“Amelie’s been in every situation, she’s been a player, a coach, on the bench as a Fed Cup captain. She knows really well what she’s speaking about.”

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