Another Glasgow date for Andy?

ANDY MURRAY could make his injury comeback in Glasgow next month — in a second-tier competition at Scotstoun Tennis Centre. Two new events have been created at short notice for the British tennis calendar — with the timing looking good for them to host the two-time Wimbledon champion if all goes to plan. The Lawn Tennis Association yesterday announced a substantial investment in putting on two $100,000 Challenger tournaments this spring, at Glasgow and Loughborough, to be played on indoor hard courts ahead of the grass court season. As Sportsmail revealed earlier this month, the LTA and Murray had been in serious discussions about the possibility of him making a lower-level return outside the main clay-court events that dominate in this period. The Scot would wish to return on a surface other than the brown dirt, with its unique demands on movement, after undergoing hip surgery in January. Murray’s camp confirmed two weeks ago that if his rehab work continued on its encouraging trajectory, then he might be able to come back ahead of his scheduled target of the grass-court tournaments. He intends to start hitting later this month in warmer climes, perhaps Miami or Nice, and Loughborough — which will begin on May 19 — remains the most likely venue to see him play his first serious match since the Wimbledon quarter-finals last summer. The event at Scotstoun — held between April 28 and May 6 — would appear to come a little early, although it would be hugely appealing to the former world No 1 to make a rare appearance north of the border if he felt he had made a double-quick recovery. Even without Murray, the promise of elite professionals playing in Glasgow was welcomed by Davis Cup captain Leon Smith. He said: ‘It’s really great news that we’re creating more playing opportunities for British players in the UK. ‘These Challenger events are invaluable in providing high-quality match experience as well as the opportunity to build up important ATP ranking points. ‘Hopefully, we can see some high-level performances from our Brits at these events.’ Tennis Scotland chief executive Blane Dodds added: ‘This will be a fantastic opportunity for some of our promising youngsters to test themselves against some of the game’s top talents. ‘This event will also allow the Scottish public to witness professional tennis of the highest quality on their doorstep, and that can only inspire our young people to take up our fantastic sport at a time when we have seen Scottish players winning at the very top of the game.’