Andy Murray has won twice in Hopman Cup play as he prepares for the Australian Open, but not without nagging shoulder/neck pain.
With the Australian Open ahead, Murray is coping with the problem.
"It's still a little bit sore," Murray said Wednesday. "I woke up and it had moved up a little bit towards my neck, but this heat helps warm everything up and loosen everything up a little bit and obviously I felt better as the match went on."
Temperatures topped 110 degrees Fahrenheit during play in Perth.
Hopman Cup play in Australian includes singles and doubles competition. Murray defeated France's Benoit Paire on Monday and followed with Wednesday's victory over Poland's Jerzy Janowicz.
At least the soreness is not involved with his right shoulder and neck. It's in his off side, the left, and doesn't bother his dominant side.
For now, Murray's major concern is with his toss before serve. Saying it's not a problem for now, he admitted:
"We had to vary a lot at the beginning of the match at the far end because we couldn't see the ball."
A scan done in Abu Dhabi, where Murray played last week, showed no structural problem.
"It doesn't really make sense for a right-handed player to have a problem with their left arm," Murray said.
Next for Murray in the competition in Perth: Matches against Australia on Friday and possible group winner competition on Saturday.
The 2015 Australian Open opens Jan. 19 in Melbourne. Murray, a two-time winner in grand slam events, likely enters as the sixth seed.
Contributing: Sportal.com.au