Andy Murray comeback: Don't expect too much, but it's great to see him winning

Wariness is key in considering the current incarnation of Andy Murray. His fitness has been decimated by years of injuries, stop-start aborted attempts at comebacks and an over-eagerness to push himself too far and hit the heights he once occupied.

But there is little doubt that his current run, his best since he rattled off 23 straight matches in the late stages of 2016 to become world No 1 for the first and only time in his career, is highly encouraging and a sight that should be cherished by tennis lovers everywhere.

But more encouragingly so, is that he has consistently begun to beat top players once more. In the final of Antwerp last year, his first ATP singles title since 2017, he beat Stan Wawrinka.

Like Murray, Wawrinka's Grand Slam-winning years may be behind him due to repeated injury problems, but he had still reached two major quarter-finals in the previous few months, beating Novak Djokovic on the way to the last eight at the US Open.

And at the Western and Southern Open, held in unorthodox circumstances in New York, Murray has made a fine start after being handed a tough draw. After beating Frances Tiafoe, a former Grand Slam quarter-finalist with three top 10 wins under his belt in his young career, for his first victory over a top 10 player since the 2017 French Open quarter-final.

Next up he faces Milos Raonic, the last man he faced in a Grand Slam final and someone against whom he holds a 9-3 winning record. This is a fantastic chance for Murray to reach the quarter-final of a big tournament with as good a field as the Covid-19 era can provide.

With Dominic Thiem and Grigor Dimitrov, the two seeds other than Zverev in his quarter, already eliminated he will feel confident about getting into the semi-finals and truly testing himself against some of the best players in the game.

But more encouragingly still, a player who has had his issues with fitness over the last few years was able to hold his own over three sets against a world class player in his prime in searing New York humidity.

And Murray himself was happy with how his body held up in the hostile conditions. "I was wearing a heart-rate monitor during the match which I checked afterwards and I was pushing it hard. I think I would have got through a five-setter," he said afterwards.

"I get another opportunity to compete again tomorrow. It will give me an idea of where my body is kind of at. I'll expect to be tired but I'll try and push myself regardless of the result."

While the Covid-19 pandemic came at an inopportune time for Murray, who was ready to return to action at the Miami Open, which was the second tennis tournament to fall, it may have been something of a blessing in disguise.

Murray has been guilty of rushing his comeback on more than one occasion, pushing himself to play a tournament he was unprepared for, where his competitive instincts would push him too far and he would end up setting back his comeback.

But a prolonged period of rest, without missing out on any tour action, may have allowed him to rid himself of all of the niggles that naturally build up with a long lay-off.

It would be unfair to expect too much from Murray at the US Open. But it is fantastic to see him winning again.