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London - Andy Murray has expressed his shock over the news that newly-retired tennis star Elena Baltacha has cancer, but believes she can beat the disease.
The Wimbledon champion has known Baltacha since they were young children in Scotland, and she remains very close to his mother Judy.
A long-time British number one who retired in November, 30-year-old Baltacha announced on Friday that she had been diagnosed with liver cancer.
"I heard about it from my mum a couple of weeks ago, she'd gone in to see her in the hospital. You're obviously shocked to hear that," Murray said.
"I've known Bally for a long time. Shocking. She's so young, she's just retired, you're expecting her to enjoy just a nice happy life.
"She's just got married as well so you feel bad. Life is very, very unfair.
"I think she has the right attitude. My mum told me that she was unbelievably positive very soon after finding out."
Murray recently played a strong supportive role for his close friend and Davis Cup player Ross Hutchins who underwent six months of chemotherapy last year after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma.
The 29-year-old British Davis Cup player was told he was in remission in July and returned to action at the start of this season
