Murray eyes Italian Open doubles tilt

Andy Murray will play competitively at the Italian Open this week after he and compatriot Liam Broady made it into the doubles draw.

Murray, pictured, travelled to Rome for a week of practice with leading players, including Novak Djokovic, ahead of what he hopes will be a singles comeback in either Geneva or Lyon next week.

However, he will have some match practice this week after all, with Murray and Broady sneaking into the doubles draw as alternates following the withdrawal of Hubert Hurkacz and Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Murray, who has been recovering from a groin problem suffered in his sleep ahead of the Miami Open in March, and Broady will take on Australian duo Max Purcell and Luke Saville in the first round.

It will be Murray’s first doubles match on the ATP Tour since he partnered Spain’s Feliciano Lopez at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati in August 2019.

Djokovic gave a positive assessment of Murray’s play after their practice session on Monday, saying: “I haven’t seen him in a while and it was great to hit with him.

“I thought he played very well on the court. He moves well considering it’s clay, which is not the best surface for his hips.”

Meanwhile, Cameron Norrie battled past Roberto Carballes Baena to reach the second round of the men’s singles in Rome.

The British number two has been in excellent form in 2021 and has built on his run to the final of the ATP event in Estoril earlier this month with three more victories in the Italian capital. Two of those came in qualifying before yesterday’s 6-4 6-4 victory against Spaniard Carballes Baena.

Norrie barely put a foot wrong to surge into a 5-1 lead but his forehand went off the boil as he twice failed to serve out the set only to break Carballes Baena in the 10th game.

It was a similar story in the second, where Norrie broke for 5-3, was broken back serving for the match but then broke again to clinch it, a little shake of the head at the end indicating he knew he made life harder for himself than it needed to be.

In the second round, Norrie will take on another Spaniard in Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

Elsewhere, world number one Djokovic overcame a bout of frustration after his match against Taylor Fritz was delayed by rain to eventually come through with a 6-3 7-6 (5) triumph.