Queen’sClubhopingforMurrayreturn
ORGANISERS of the Fever-Tree Championships are hoping Andy Murray will be fit enough to make his singles return at Queen’s Club.
The former World No.1 is sidelined again through injury, this time pelvic bruising that has kept him out since November, with no indication yet when he will be able to make his comeback.
Providing he can find a solution to the problem, which has restricted him to work in the gym, it is looking increasingly likely Murray may not compete — at the top level anyway — until the grass-court season.
Time is fast running out for him to play on hard courts, while clay, which he has not played on since his hip problems emerged in 2017, is the most demanding surface physically.
That could mean a return at Queen’s Club, where he played for the first time following hip surgery in 2018 and again in 2019 after his second operation, although only in doubles.
Murray went on to win the title — his first in doubles after five singles successes at Queen’s — with Spaniard Feliciano Lopez.
Lopez also won the title in singles and he will return along with top-10 duo Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Tournament director Stephen Farrow said: “We are thrilled to have received early commitments from two top-10 players in Daniil and Stefanos, and such legendary figures at the Queen’s Club in Feliciano and Andy.
“Daniil and Stefanos have shown they can beat anyone, Feliciano’s win last year was incredibly emotional and uplifting, and Andy is our greatest champion.
“We know Andy is still working his way back, but we also know that he wants to play.”
The Fever-Tree Championships will run from June 15 to 21.
DAN Evans claimed his fourth victory over a top-20 player this season by coming from a set down against Fabio Fognini at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
The British No.1 trailed in all three sets but refused to let 11thranked Fognini pull away and secured a 3-6 6-4 7-5 victory after two hours and 39 minutes.
Evans struggled to get on the front foot against one of the game’s most talented ball-strikers and quickly found himself 4-0 down in the opening set.
He recovered one break to at least get himself into the match and then fought back from 3-1 to take the second set, with Fognini playing a poor final game.
The Italian’s intensity fluctuated and Evans kept fighting, twice recovering from a break down in the deciding set and then taking his sixth match point in the 12th game.
“It’s great to get through the tight ones, especially against someone as good as Fabio,” Evans said.
The 29-year-old will face Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the second round.
Kyle Edmund built on his New York Open title triumph with a first-round win over Feliciano Lopez in Acapulco.
The British No.2 beat Lopez 6-4 6-1 at the Mexican Open to set up a last-16 clash against Australia’s Alex Bolt or Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Edmund, fresh from his first ATP title success since October 2018, and Lopez had a late night with the final game of the day not starting until 12.20am.
The first set was closely fought, but Edmund broke Spanish veteran Lopez to lead 2-0 in the second and dominate.
Edmund saved two break points to lead 3-0 and closed out the second set in style to win in 68 minutes.