Andy Murray’s long-awaited comeback proves to be total washout

TENNIS: Rain sees Scot’s long-awaited competitive return delayed by 24 hours

Andy Murray steps back onto a tennis court tomorrow, just 143 days after undergoing a hip operation in a bid to salvage his career.

The two-time Wimbledon champion and former world No 1 tearfully announced at January’s Australian Open that it may have to be his last tournament, such was the pain his chronic injury was giving him.

Instead, on January 28, Murray went under the knife and had the worn joint replaced with titanium.

The surgery has left him pain free, and tomorrow he is due back in competitive action alongside Feliciano Lopez, last night named in a police probe amid allegations of match-fixing at Wimbledon, in the men’s doubles at Queen’s Club.

No player has competed in toplevel singles after undergoing the hip resurfacing operation, but American Bob Bryan has returned to the doubles circuit.

However, Murray is not reinventing himself as a doubles player. Queen’s, followed by Eastbourne and Wimbledon, are about testing his body, putting miles on the clock and regaining some match sharpness with a view to resuming his singles career before the end of the year.

“My goal is still to get back to playing singles, ultimately,” said the 32-year-old Scot.

“Maybe six to eight weeks ago I was chatting with my team about the best way to get back onto the court again, singleswise.

“We felt doubles would be a good option to test myself out and see how I feel, where there is maybe a bit obviously less loading on the body, less movement, but you still have to make some quick moves and have quick reactions.

“It felt like it was actually a nice progression of the rehab I’ve been doing and getting back onto the court and see how I feel on a match court playing doubles.”

Murray and Lopez will face Colombian top seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah in the first round of the Fever-Tree Championships.

Rain disrupted proceedings yesterday with not a single ball struck as the rain came tumbling down.

Organisers eventually called it a day just after 5pm. It’s just the third time in 18 years that there has been a total washout at the ATP 500 event.

Meanwhile reports have named Lopez, 37, and his Spanish doubles partner Marc Lopez, 36, in a wider investigation into corruption in sport.

It is understood Lopez, unavailable for comment yesterday as his scheduled singles match against Marton Fucsovics was rained off, strenuously denies any wrongdoing and is taking legal advice.

The investigation involves a first round match at Wimbledon in 2017 featuring Lopez and his Spanish doubles partner Marc Lopez against Australians Matt Reid and John-Patrick Smith, with the Lopezes losing 3-6 7-6 (2) 6-2 6-4.

Murray’s representatives are aware of the claims.

Picture: Getty. Andy Murray is all smiles as he enjoys some practice indoors ahead of his long-awaited return tomorrow at Queen’s.