"I'm sure they'd be more than capable and willing to do that": Murray doesn't think women would have any issue playing five set matches

Former world number one Andy Murray believes that women tennis players are ‘more than capable’ of playing five-set matches.

The third Grand Slam of the year is set to begin in two days’ time and will be concluded on the 16th of July.

Ahead of every mega-event in the sport, there is always a debate from some quarters who undermines the achievement of women tennis players because their match lengths are shorter compared to their male counterparts.

It is because of this reason, men’s achievement is somehow always considered to have greater importance compared to women’s triumph at the Grand Slams.

Murray, while talking to Yahoo Sport, suggested that women players are more than capable of playing five-setters. He also expressed his opinion that the debate should never take place as that decision is not taken by the players themselves.

“If it was something that the women were completely against doing and they were being asked and the tournament were really pushing them to play best of five sets then maybe that’s a different discussion there but my understanding is that that’s not what it is,” he said.

“If the women were asked to play five-set matches I’m sure they would be more than capable and more than willing to do that. But I don’t think it’s their decision … so that’s the end of the argument, for me.”

Murray, who is a two-time Wimbledon champion, will open his campaign in the upcoming mega-event against fellow countryman Ryan Peniston.

The 36-year-old will be hoping to finally get going in the event after multiple poor campaigns. Last year, he was knocked out from the second round by America’s John Isner (6-4, 7-6, 6-7, 6-4) whereas the year before, he exited the competition in the third round after suffering a defeat against Germany’s Oscar Otte (3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2).