Daily Times

LONDON: Former world number one Andy Murray will play in next month’s Queen’s Club Championships in London, organisers said on Monday. The 33-year-old Murray, who has won the ATP 500 event five times, last played in March at the Rotterdam Open, where he was beaten by Russian Andrey Rublev in the round of 16. He then pulled out of the Miami Open with a groin injury. The tournament at Queen’s will accommodate about 25% of its full capacity, with strict safety protocols in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It starts on June 14, two weeks before Wimbledon. Murray, who was won three Grand Slam titles, has fallen to 123 in the world rankings after long injury lay-offs because of hip operations. “It’s been such a difficult time for everyone and it’ll be great to play in front of home fans in Britain again,” Murray, who has also won a doubles crown at the event partnering Feliciano Lopez, said in a statement. “The tournament at Queen’s has always meant a lot to me – it’s where I won my first ATP match, I’ve won the singles at Queen’s more than any other in my career and I’ll never forget our doubles title in 2019. I can’t wait to get back out there.” Also in action will be British number one Dan Evans, who has climbed to a career-high ranking of 26 after reaching the Monte Carlo semi-finals and beating Novak Djokovic along the way. “I know how lucky we’ve been to be able to still play the sport in recent months, it’s been a good year for me on court, and I’m really looking forward to the grass over the next couple of months,” Evans said.