Much to ponder:

World No 1 suffers shock first round exit at Queen’s

Andy Murray’s build-up to the defence of his Wimbledon title next month suffered a setback as he went out of the Aegon Championship at Queen’s to lucky loser Jordan Thompson.

Andy Murray’s Wimbledon warm-up could hardly have gone worse as the British No 1 crashed out of the Aegon Championships first round to lucky loser Jordan Thompson yesterday.

Thompson was called up to replace the injured Aljaz Bedene just a few hours earlier but the world No 90 played the match of his life to beat Murray 7-6 (7/4) 6-2.

Murray, a record five-time champion at Queen’s, must now recover confidence and rhythm if he is to avoid a similarly disappointing defence of his Wimbledon crown in a fortnight’s time.

This was the world No 1’s ninth defeat already in 2017 and sixth against an opponent ranked outside the top 20.

It is his second worst result by ranking since he lost to world No 92 Guillermo Garcia Lopez at Indian Wells in March 2012.

There were signs of a return to form when Murray reached the semi-finals at the French Open earlier this month but this represents a significant step back, his serve again unreliable and forehand particularly wayward.

The Scot reportedly pledged to donate his prize money from this event to victims of the Grenfell Tower disaster and that figure for losing in the first round will be around £12,000.

Thompson had lost in the second round of qualifying on Sunday to Frenchman Jeremy Chardy but he was thrust back into the main draw after Bedene, the British No 4, pulled out with a wrist problem yesterday morning.

For all Murray’s inadequacies, the Australian 23-year-old played brilliantly, dictating the points with his rasping forehand and showing an aggressive approach that his more established opponent was simply unable to match.

Thompson had beaten David Ferrer in Brisbane in January and world No 15 Jack Sock in the Davis Cup in April, but this was his first Tour win against a player in the top 20 and by the far the biggest of his career.

He set the tone early on when Murray had to save two break points in his opening service game, and while the Briton changed his racket he could never really turn the tide.

Into the first-set tie-break and Murray double-faulted to hand back a mini-break before a missed volley helped Thompson move 6-3 clear.

Murray saved one set point but not the next as another backhand volley dropped into the bottom of the net and the underdog took the frame.

The second set grew even worse for Murray, whose backhand lob – usually a trademark shot – dropped long to give Thompson the break and a 3-2 lead.

The two-time Wimbledon champion has proven himself one of the greatest scrappers but even he could not escape this time as a forehand blown wide conceded a second break, and Thompson duly served out after an hour and 43 minutes.

Meanwhile, Milos Raonic and Stan Wawrinka both made losing starts to their grass-court seasons by crashing out in the first round.

Wawrinka, who reached the French Open final earlier this month, was beaten at Queen’s 7-6 (7/4) 7-5 by Feliciano Lopez shortly after Raonic endured a 7-6 (7/5) 7-6 (10/8) defeat to Australian wild card Thanasi Kokkinakis.

Kokkinakis’ victory was perhaps the more surprising given it was the 21-yearold’s first ever against an opponent ranked inside the top 10 and came in only his fifth match this year, following a long lay-off with a shoulder injury.

Raonic was a runner-up both here and at Wimbledon in 2016, losing on each occasion to Andy Murray, and the world No 6 is considered a genuine contender again at the All England Club next month.

Unlike Raonic, Wawrinka has never viewed grass as his favourite surface and the world No 3’s discomfort was evident again on Centre Court.

Lopez looked more honed, having found rhythm in five grass-court matches last week en route to the final in Stuttgart, while Wawrinka was playing his first of the summer.

Britain’s Cameron Norrie also departed after the 21-year-old was beaten 6-1 6-4 by American Sam Querrey.

Roger Federer sent a resounding message about his Wimbledon chances by beating Yuichi Sugita in 52 minutes at the Gerry Weber Open in Halle.

Federer’s readiness for the third grand slam of the year, which starts in 12 days’ time, looked in doubt last week, when he lost to world No 302 Tommy Haas in the first round in Stuttgart.

But the Swiss produced an ominously smooth display against Sugita, breezing past the Japanese 6-3 6-1 to book his place in round two.

Federer will now play Germany’s Mischa Zverev, whom he beat in the Australian Open quarter-finals.

Kei Nishikori fought back from a set down to defeat Fernando Verdasco. Bernard Tomic, Florian Mayer, Lucas Pouille and Roberto Bautista-Agut are also safely through.